Rogue Agents
by Skylia2017
Summary: NCIS Grace Stevens discovered a third Chinese terrorist cell. She was murdered. Worse, their headquarters are believed to be compromised and must work in the shadows. The team learn the NK agency is defecting three elite NK agents. Sun-Hwa Kim and Ki Soo Kim appears to be the only lead towards the third terrorist. Callen is assigned to protect them in New Zealand. Callen/OC pair
1. Chapter 1 The Fire in the Heartache

**Disclaimer: Don't own anything except my plot.**

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 **S** **ummary**

NCIS Grace Stevens discovered a third Chinese terrorist cell. She was murdered. Worse, their headquarters are believed to be compromised and must work in the shadows. The team learn the NK agency is defecting three elite NK agents. Sun-Hwa Kim and Ki Soo Kim appears to be the only lead towards the third terrorist. Callen is assigned to protect them in New Zealand. Callen/OC pairing

 **The Fire in a Heartache**

 **chapter one**

 **[NCIS Los Angeles]**

Everyone was making a huge fuss on him. Sure, it sounded cosy like a happy family. But, in Callen's opinion, he found his team now a nuisance. Ever since he had broken up with Joelle, each day he would receive a visit from each of his team members. Hell, Callen just wanted to be left well alone and just swallow his own heartache. But, no matter how many times he shove his team away, they were damned persistent.

Even Arkady Kolcheck, his former Russian KGB friend who even tried to tie him to a random girl. In result, Callen punched him full in the face. Arkady left, feeling insulted and wished his team good-luck to put his best friend back together. The Callen he knew hopes he remembered what the meaning of _'trust'_ means to them all.

Callen was in no mood to talk to anyone or see their faces. He was tired. Yet, his trust is still wounded. In fact, if his team was a bunch of happy family like the TV show he'd watch lately: Brandy Bunch, he was now stating his entire team was a dysfunctional family. Yes, they were. That was his dysfunctional family.

A bunch of red roses laid by their junior analysis, Nell, on his porch in the middle of the night. That was the second day of his sober mood. He knew he shouldn't have frightened the rookie, particularly she was Hetty's favourite. The leader was so frustrated on their support that he did seized one of his beer bottle, throwing it down on his footpath, ending with an irritable clash. Since then, Nell stopped coming over to his place and took offence as a rude gesture.

Then comes Kensi. She arrived on the third day and had been deliriously affectionate towards him. Callen didn't need to guess why. He already knew his favourite agent was in loved and had progress to the "next level" of her relationship with Marty Deeks. He knew she meant well. That she was concerned about his health. The fact he was dowsing down six pack of beer bottles each day had alarmed her since Joelle had broken off the relationship between Callen and Joelle.

The female agent had to race out to her car, aware that her best friend and colleague is the most difficult person to console. If anyone knew what a heartache is like, it was definitely Kensi. Her trip to Afghanistan and concluding a closure to her past still haunts her. Deeks seemed to be her medicine, healing her wounded heartache. Still, Callen was annoyed at the unwanted pampering he was receiving.

When Callen open his front door on his third sober day, still feeling in a shit mood, he saw a homemade almond cake with the word "Happy birthday, Callen. We love you." written on it, the Russian man threw out her cake and toss a perfectly good homemade cake into his black bin. He walked back into his home and slammed the door behind him.

On the fourth day, the next morning, his partner managed to pin lock his front door. Callen woke up with a splitting headache pounding in his head. A hangover. He was not surprised. According to his coffee table, he had demolished at least 12 beer bottles in one week. He was about to sleep off his hangover when he received a fresh water bucket poured over him.

Callen flinched followed with a frowned on his face. There stood his partner, Sam Hanna, towering at him. Sure enough, the Navy SEAL looked very concerned at his broken partner. Sam sat on his coffee table with his legs cross.

He studied his colleague. His partner was a mess. Bags under his eyes. G. Looked as though he hadn't sleep in days. Worse, he smelled awful. He smelled like alcohol and his teeth had a bad odour smell. The leader had cracked completely, looking wasted like a drunken thug.

"I'm not in a mood today, Sam." Callen complained moodily.

"You can start clearing up your trash. Come on, you're not getting wasted, today. Hetty will be here in ten minutes." Sam warned him heatedly.

"Am I fired?" Callen replied in a bored voice.

"Nope. We're not getting rid of you that easily. You're stuck with us for good." Sam answered conversationally. "Besides, Hetty's going to kick your ass to North Korea." The Navy SEAL chortled.

"I'm not interested." Callen replied firmly. He rolled back onto his couch. His back facing Sam. "She can send somebody else other than me. Consider me a year of maternity leave." He muffled against his couch.

"Yeah, right." Sam scoffed. "Like the little ninja's going to buy your excuse. How much are you going to pay her for it?" He smirked.

"My house." Callen answered seriously. "Why do I get the feeling you're feeling guilty?" He frowned at him.

"Let's just say because I was the one who set you up with Joelle." Sam told him honestly. "I felt responsible you got heart broken."

"Wow. I thought you're here to give me an ear bashing since I'm a huge jackass to everyone." Callen replied appreciatively. Then, he looked serious. "It's not your fault, Sam. It was me. I told her so many lies. My job. My family." He scoffed. "Truthfully I don't even have a real family."

Sam snorted disbelievingly. "That's bullshit, G. You do have a family and I don't need to give you an ear bashing because Hetty will. You just cut her favourite analysis and putting you into her bad books. So, if I were you, I give Nell a cute cuddly teddy bear toy."

His remark made Callen laughed. His laughed was followed with a true grinned. It made him realised after four days of sombre, the agent realised how much he hadn't been human enough to smile. It also dawn to him he got a lot to make up to for his team. Yes, he had been the biggest jackass. Sam patted him on the back.

"I supposed an apology is in order." Callen agreed. "I'm screwed with Hetty, aren't I?"

"Yeah, you are." Sam agreed, a smirked on his face, enjoying to gloat his colleague. "If you're going to put the word 'sorry', don't bother. I would just give Nell a hug. Action is louder than words."

Callen sighed. "I guess I better start shopping. What about for Kensi?" He is very screwed now.

"I suggest you can arrange a venue for an engagement party. She's getting married to our fluffy friend. She wanted to tell you in person. But got frightened for what you did to poor Nell." Sam announced. "When you were in your own sinkhole, they were quarrelling like a real married couple." He mimic's Kensi's voice into a high pitch tone. " _'It doesn't have to be glamorous. It's just a wedding, Deeks_.'"

"I bet they drove you up the wall." Callen commented knowingly. He was starting to feel really guilty now. He could feel his own chest was starting to tightened.

"Yeah. I feel like I'm the parent putting the bad kids to a naughty corner." Sam rolled his eyes. Callen chuckled. He likes the way his partner worded the sentences into a humorous way. "I would suggest you stop kicking yourself and start clearing all your trash. Can you imagine what else Hetty might have in store for you?"

"I don't want to know." Callen replied truthfully. He swung his legs over and climbed out of his couch. His legs felt like jelly. He almost stumble over a coffee table until Sam caught him around his shoulder.

"For the love of God, G, go and hit a shower. Brush your teeth. You smell like alcohol." Sam scolded him seriously.

"Which way is the bathroom?" Callen asked blurrily.

Sam laughed. "This is your house. You should know better, G." He shook his head, feeling annoyed, knowing full well G likes to stir him up. The SEAL spin him around and leaded him to the bathroom. Callen closed the door behind him. "And lots of shower gel because you do stink!" He yelled through the door.

Callen laughed. He closed the bathroom door shut, leaving him to wonder why his boss wants to send him to North Korea. The Russian agent could only speculate that Hetty have one assignment ready. Perhaps it was for the best. After all, his other team members were sour at him as he had given him a cold shoulder.

 **[NCIS Los Angeles]**


	2. Chapter 2 The Solidary Soldier

**Solidary Soldier**

 **Chapter two**

 **[NCIS Los Angeles]**

After a nice clean shower, Agent Callen felt as though his mind was lightened up like a candle. He felt more alive than he did than his sober days. The stench of alcohol was gone. The only smell under his breathe was Colgate. He sprayed the cologne all over him, making him look like the new Mr. G. Callen.

The Russian man stepped out of the bathroom, feeling very refreshed. Then, scouted around his house looking for his big bad wolf partner. The first sight greeted him was a disinfectant smell. He found Sam in the kitchen, finishing his mopping duties.

Normally, Callen never have any possession in his house. The only possession he have was just a sofa, a small wooden box that contain photos and a small green plant. The photos represents his very identity and still not discovering his first name. The photos were what connected him.

But, when Joelle Tayler, the school teacher came into his life, he had a reason for his empty house to be very full. Callen actually went to a grocery store, shopping everything he needed for his girlfriend to feel at home. His kitchen cupboard had a handful of plates. A tea pot for his boss and a set of tea cups. He even have his own coffee machine as well as a boiling kettle.

Joelle was the reason his house was filled with household possession. Even his main room had a queen size bed. His main bedroom had a cupboard filled with Joelle's books.

Since she had walked out of his life, the bookshelf became emptied. His house looked like it had a reason for him to live a life. A life just like everyone else. His house surprised Sam how much his best friend had changed over just one person. Even his personality.

"Make tea for Hetty." Sam instructed.

"Sure." Callen moved towards the cupboard, collecting the pot of tea and the set of cups. He set the kettle, filling it with water to the brim and started to boil it. "So, care to share what my assignment is?" He asked in a business tone.

"Apparently you're assigned to protect a North Korean agent, Sun-Hwa Kim." Sam answered promptly, putting away the cleaning equipment.

"How is a North Korean agent related to NCIS?" Callen pointed out, sounding baffled at his answer.

"Grace Stevens. She's dead." Sam reported bitterly. He turn to face him, looking sour. "Grace was working with Sun-Hwa Kim, defusing two Chinese terrorist cells who threatened the world leaders. While they did defused their threats, she discovered a third Chinese terrorist group defecting all agents for what they did to their predecessors."

Callen allowed this new information to digest in his mind. "So, the two Chinese terrorists group had a purpose, that their purpose is: they didn't need a governor to run the country. They think the governor are the disease that made their country ill. They're rebellious and out for blood." Callen surmised.

"Yeah." Sam agreed, sounding displeased. "Granger wants us to find two North Korean agents and defuse three assassins. There could be more agents needed to be assigned for protection. Their history with the terrorists cells are messy. Hell messy. They don't like to be found and trust no one."

"What do you mean two North Korean agents?" Callen asked, in a confused tone. "I thought the assignment was just to protect Sun-Hwa Kim."

"Two for now. But, there could be more. Sun-Hwa Kim and Ki Soo Kim were the only ones who saw Grace's killers." Sam explained.

"They're siblings?" Callen noted the surnames being similar.

"No. The surname 'Kim' is common in Korea. It's just like the surname with Jones." Sam pointed out.

"Okay. What do you know about Sun-Hwa Kim?" Callen questioned him.

"Her file is thick. What I read on her file is similar to yours." Sam smirked at him.

"How so?" Callen raised one eyebrow at him and leaned against the wall lazily.

"Let's see: she's paranoid. Her trust is wounded from her past and a very complicated person, just like you. She's very beautiful. Fair skin. Tall and a highly decorated agent." Sam hinted.

"Sam, I don't date law enforcement." Callen reminded him and repeated his question. "I think we're beginning to go off the track here, my friend."

Sam smiled back understandingly. "She was force to become a North Korean agent. Her mother and sister were kidnapped by the North Korean military agency. They'd threatened if she'd didn't agree to work with them, they won't hesitate to kill her family."

"What was the mission to set her family free?" Callen wondered.

"She and her supervisor were assigned to protect a political ambassador during the conference. The political ambassador was in charged with the nuclear facility. But, when a South Korean agent murdered him, they chased him down. Then, the agency asked her to assassinate him, saying he is a threat." Sam explained.

"But, she didn't and her family was murdered." Callen concluded, his stomach churned uncomfortably.

Sam nodded in response to his conclusion. "Her family was burn alive in the warehouse. According to the report on the file, the agency shot them, mutilated before burning them with oil and fire. Sun-Hwa went back to her home only to find burn bodies that was the remains of her mother and sister."

Callen looked taken aback. "Why didn't she turn the South Korean agent in?" His heart sank like a stone at this brutal murder.

"She believed he was setup." Sam surmised.

"And now she's paranoid in terms of security." Callen stated slowly. "What about Ki Soo Kim?"

"Ki Soo Kim is a North Korean Intelligence. He is a guy to see if agents needs to be relocated to a safe house. New passport. New identity. Now, a retired agent. He worked closely with a South Korean task force to defuse the first Chinese terrorist group. His file is thin. So you know, Hetty said the whole team is coming over to be brief on Grace Steven's case." Sam warned him seriously.

"Why?" Callen asked, startled.

"After what happened to Grace, Hetty said we couldn't risk revealing our location to the third Chinese terrorist group and she doesn't doubt they might try to infiltrate our headquarters to deliver their attacks. She thinks we could be compromised. So, be nice and don't mess up this time." Sam advised him.

Callen sighed. "I guess my shopping have to wait. You think the next time I see Nell at work I would receive a punch in the face?" He asked in a apprehensive tone.

"I would do it for Nell." Sam agreed protectively over their youngest member. "Seriously, G, you'd scared the hell out of me!" He commented.

"I'm sorry." Callen said genuinely, turning his back on him and switched off the squealing kettle. He could feel his eyes heated up with hot tears. "Truthfully, I – I didn't want to accept that Joelle and I were over that soon. There were times that I felt suicidal." He admitted in a cracked voice.

The emotions were swelling inside his heart. He could feel his chest was beginning to tightened. His heart clenched so tightly he was certain it would bleed. The heartache was so real he felt his own heart was set with an angry fire. The leader place a hand on his own chest. Sam put a consoling hand on his shoulder.

"I really loved Joelle. I never felt like this with any woman before and it hurt so badly that I feel I wanted to just die in the inside." Callen told him in a wobbly voice. His tears spilled freely. "But, what I do know if we do get back together, we won't be the same anymore. It will be different. It was better that we broke up. We both called it."

Sam was glad his partner didn't push his hand or chase him out of the house like he had done to Nell and Kensi. It was a start to say the least. It was the first time G. had spoken about his bitter relationship. It was the first time he had ever shared his private life with a friend because Agent Callen acts like a solidary soldier.

He is a man who lived in the shadows, always sewing secrets close to his chests; never exposing it to others unless it was somebody he'd trusted. He is the most complicated man the team had ever known, always acting alone. His childhood made him who he is today.

They were distracted by a soft knock on the front door. Sam and Callen looked at each other. Sam smiled warmly. "You just needed a cute tight cuddly teddy bear hug right now." He open his arms wide, waiting for his colleague to climbed into his embrace, looking amused.

Callen chortled, then, he recited. "' _A cute tight cuddly teddy bear.'_ " He looked thoughtfully at Sam. "I don't know, Sam. You look more like a shark than a teddy bear to me." He walked out of the kitchen, making his way out to the front door to greet their boss.

"Keep it up. I will give you a headlock and do Nell a favour." Sam remarked, irritated at his smartass comeback. "I will get the tea for Hetty." He patted Callen on the back.

Callen swung his front door open. "Hi, Hetty." He helped his boss carried the two luggage's. The luggage's he'd carried were light. It seemed to be empty.

"Mr. Callen." Hetty said kindly. She greeted him with a warm hug.

Callen had to bend down slightly to hug her back. His boss was like a mother to him and respected her just like everyone else. He was like a son that she never had and they were close as his real family. Her trust with him were just like the trust Callen had with Sam.

"So, what's the luggage's for?" Callen nodded at the luggage's.

"Your new undercover alias. A marriage certificate for you and Agent Kim. I assure you this certificate will bypass the North Korean military agency. She was flag for being on the no-flight list." Hetty explained.

"Okay. I will bring her back." Callen promised her.

"Bring yourself back home. We lost too many of our own." Hetty told him in a worried tone.

"How are you coping with Grace Steven's death?" Callen asked concernedly, knowing his boss was close to the female agent.

"Pitchy." Hetty replied honestly. "How are you?" Hetty asked in a stern tone, studying him like a hawk.

"I'm..." Callen wasn't even sure what to say. He couldn't say he was fine because he was still feeling very sore in his heart. In fact, the last four days the former Russian agent felt as though he was being suffocated.

"You feel lost." Hetty supplied. "I believed what you need is closure."

"I – " Callen started, his words were lost as he felt his throat all clogged up. There was no need for him to finished because Hetty understood him. Like a mother, the woman with glasses took his hand into hers.

"You don't want to accept it is over. You are afraid to love due to past experiences. But, what you'd experience over the years, Mr. Callen, will only make you stronger." Hetty advised him wisely.

"Thanks, Hetty." Callen replied appreciatively. "I don't know when I will be ready to love somebody like Joelle again."

"You will be. Since you began your relationship with Joelle, you had been doubting yourself, battling to tell her which I is I." Hetty reminded him. "You will love somebody like Joelle if you learn to trust yourself."

 **[NCIS Los Angeles]**

"I understand the team will feel awkward around you. I am sure Mr Hanna had told you our security had tightened and we can't always use our headquarters as our base. Assistant Director Granger believed we may be compromised." Hetty informed Callen.

"Yeah, he just brief me on our assignments." Callen agreed, still trying to adjust the new case in his mind. "How do you know the two North Korean agents?"

"It started with the first Chinese terrorist group called Athena. The US government agencies had been monitoring their activities for some time. The Athena was born before the second terrorist group called IRIS. In history, they had attack the global stock market and the US soil." Hetty answered promptly. "They are the most radical group we had encountered. In the past they had used children as suicide bombers. Some were as young as a primary school age. At the age of eight, Ki Soo Kim was strapped with a bomb and was force to assassinate the secretary of treasure."

Callen gave her a look. "You were assigned to protect the political members for the US government."

"Yes, during my days as a CIA agent." Hetty smiled. "Well Mr. Callen, I am very glad you had freshened up." Hetty laughed and patted him on his cheek with her hand gently. "Give Nell a big bear hug, will you?"

Callen nodded, now feeling ashamed. How was he going to face his team with his atrocious behaviour he had delivered the last four days? Particularly to Nell and Kensi, whom he'd considered them as his younger sisters'.

A soft crunch sounded at the side of his kerb. Sure enough, the field agent could see a Honda vehicle parked. Then, four members of his team climbed out of the car. His stomach twisted into knots, feeling more guilty and embarrassed. He could see Kensi holding onto Nell. Callen didn't blame their junior looking quite apprehensive. After all, he did scare his favourite boss's analysis.

The word 'Dysfunctional family' crept into his mind. He shook his head, dismissing that awful thought and realised how much Sam was right: that he does have a family. That he does need a shoulder to lean on no matter how much he wanted to deny he didn't need to cry on somebody's shoulder. They might not be in blood family but they were as close as his real family.

As the rest of the team reached the front door, Callen stretched out his hand to detective and much to his surprised, the leader was swept into his embrace, almost lifting him off the ground. Shocked washed over Callen's heart. He certainly did not expect this gesture from the cop. Still, he appreciated all the same and did expect a handful of fists being sink into his mouth for all the treatments he had given them.

Deeks laughed joyfully at the sight of his expression. He was like a younger brother amongst the males agents. He walked passed him, bending low to his boss to give her a hug before making his way to find the muscle man. Eric awkwardly shake his hand. Callen return his gesture and patted him on the back, understanding him. After all, Eric was close to Nell and was rather protective of her. Plus, like Kensi and Deeks, Eric was Nell's partner.

Callen noticed there was a medium box in Kensi's arms. "What flavour?" He enquired sincerely.

"It's a surprised." Kensi answered cheekily. "Nell, would you mind to put the cake in the fridge?" She handed the medium box of cake to the red hair woman.

"Sure." The petite woman agreed.

Nell took the box from her. Then, her eyes widen in surprise as Callen engulf her with his big arms, hugging her tightly. Kensi had to smile. She knew Callen had different ways to express his feelings when he regretted something. Nell patted on Callen's head awkwardly, unsure what to do. Kensi grinned at her friend. Callen let Nell go and watched her walked into the kitchen.

Kensi clasped his hands into hers. "Promise me one wish, Callen." She hold his hand tightly.

"Okay." Callen agreed, feeling uneasy.

"I want you to promise me never to push us away. If anyone understand what you're going through right now: is me. I lost the man who never came back to me. I felt lost. I started drinking a lot of booze and refuse to talk to anyone. I was like you. I left my home and became homeless. But, when NCIS found me, that was when I started to unlock the doors. I was reminded that I was not alone. I know it's extremely difficult because you're always wishing that one day they will come back." Kensi explained in a consoling tone.

Callen nodded in agreement. He sighed. The words he wanted to tell Kensi was lost in mid-sentence. The male agent couldn't bring himself to tell her about his relationship with Joelle. Kensi understood his pain because she hugged him warmly. She kissed him once on the cheek. Like a sibling, she patted him on the head, just like Nell did.

Callen noticed her fourth finger on her left hand sparkled merrily. There was a ring on her left hand.

"Congratulation on getting propose." Callen managed to say. "I'm actually looking forward to eat my cake."

Kensi grinned broadly at him. "Hey, don't give up on finding love. You will find someone like Joelle."

Callen smiled in response. He closed the front door and followed her into the lounge room. It was time for a briefing.

 **[NCIS Los Angeles]**


	3. Chapter 3 Out of the equation

**Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS: Los Angeles, just like to borrow their characters for fun. :)**

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 **A/N:**

 _Hello to those who are reading my stories,_

 _New OC list. The OCs are the Korean agents. Again, these agents were from the same Korean dramas as previously stated on the previous chapter. The only difference is the plot is different._

 _Names:_

 _Director Min-Oh Choi_

 _Jun-Ho Park_

 _Ki Soo Kim_

 _Sun-Hwa Kim_

 _I also like to announce that I recently got a twitter account. See my profile for details. It is everything I update for my story which I love to collage photos. Next week, I will be compiling a profile data entry on twitter to be posted. So, keep your toes on it! I'm also already working on chapter four. I already got an ending in my head and am finishing this project very strong._

 _I hope I had covered all angles. If not, let me know!_

 _Thank you to **angel897** for leaving your review._

 _❤ Sky_

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 **Out of the equation**

 **Chapter three**

 **[NCIS Los Angeles]**

The head agent walked into the living room. The first sight caught his eyes was Grace Stevens photo on the projector screen. His mind swirl into a well of thoughts. Subconsciously, his legs acted on its own and moved towards her. His lungs felt clogged up. His lungs felt squeezed. The leader felt as though he was being suffocated. G. Callen felt as though he was a mile away from his team.

The thought of Grace Stevens being dead troubled him. It reminded the field leader agent to remind that they are like him: Lauren Hunter, orphan. Agent Sullivan, orphan. Grace Stevens, orphan like him. But, the three agents who were like him, now dead. All three agents hand picked from the orphanage by his operation manager and born to be a sleeper agent. Orphans becomes loners and orphans walks as a lone wolf, just like him.

"I had booked your itinerary for New Zealand. Eric pickup a chatter and managed to bypass the North Korean military agency firewall." Hetty spoke up, standing beside him.

"I thought Sun-Hwa Kim is station in Korea." Callen reminded her. "So, I'm travelling between New Zealand and Korea?" He wondered.

"You were. Now, it is in New Zealand. It was until he picked up a chatter about Sun-Hwa Kim." Hetty sighed. She looked over at the technician. "Eric, can you play the footage for Mr Callen? He's on a tight schedule for New Zealand. So is everybody else. This case had been flag for national security and it is essential we defused the threats as soon as possible. Unless we all want to be looking over our shoulders for a very long time. Good job on bypassing their firewalls, Mr. Beale."

Hetty lightly slapped him on the back with her hand. Eric grinned proudly about it.

"Piece of cake. I think that voicemail also discovered her killer too. Right. I'm rolling up several profiles, voicemails and the video footage." Eric agreed hastily, his fingers busied on the laptop. The team joined Callen and stood next to him. "There is actually a three day shooting discovery." He swiped three photos, pulling the profiles right next to Grace Stevens. "Nell, if you would."

Nell pulled up video footage. "Agent Stevens was supposed to be on a flight in Incheon International Airport. Three days ago, just as she was about to board on her plane, a group of Chinese terrorist came after her. They held her at gunpoint, threatening to murder N.S.S. agents as well as the N.T.S. Grace managed to fight her way out. Then, she flagged to the N.S.S. headquarters to informed she was compromised. She didn't flag us because her two assignments was related in Korea."

"Her assignment involved defusing two Chinese terrorists: IRIS and Athena. They were interested in getting their hands on nuclear technology. She worked closely with the N.S.S. task force. NCIS was involved on this assignment because Pentagon sent out a APP alert that two military officers who were working there was kidnapped. The two military officers is a U.S. Korean citizen. Here's the kicker, N.S.S. discovered the two military officers was washed up on shore. They were both brutally murdered with a shot at the back of their heads. This M.O. is going to creep you out." Eric said in a tense voice.

"And that was when IRIS became under the N.S.S. radar." Nell intervene, pulling three more profiles onto the projector screen. "Meet Hyeong-Jun Kim. He was briefly the leader for the N.S.S task force and the one who successfully defused IRIS alongside with our good friend Grace Stevens and Sun-Hwa Kim. He was a fugitive, falsely accused and hunted, ordered to murder a North Korean ambassador. N.S.S. reported that three days ago, he was going to the light house to meet up with Agent Seung-Hee Choi. He was sniped at the back of his head in his car in broad daylight. No witnessed or any camera access of his murder."

"Here's the creepy part. After she flagged N.S.S. she was compromised, no one in the headquarters return her file report. Grace only remain in Korea because she wanted to warned him that the new terrorist organisation was going to hunt all of them down." Eric said in a professional tone.

The team shared a confused look with each other.

"Grace wanted to warn the remaining N.S.S. agents. Unfortunately, she was too late. Two days after his death, Grace received a surveillance package on them. She race out of her house, wanting to see who had left this package at her doorstep. The resolution totally sucks. But, Hetty knows who'd dropped the package off. She's not a suspect. I will let Hetty explain." Nell ensured the team in an alarming tone.

The team exchanged a look with each other. They looked from the technician to Hetty. The manager had her arms folded across her chest, looking more stern than usual.

"The person who'd dropped off the package is Min-Oh Choi. She is a very dear friend of mine." Hetty took over the briefing briefly. "During my days as a CIA agent, I was guarding the U.S. Secretary of Treasurer who was under threat by the first Chinese terrorist group called IRIS. Min-Oh worked alongside me as a Security Consultant. She is a Chinese U.S. citizen. Her heritage is Korean. She had been fighting for the children of Korea to prevent them from becoming a sleeper assassin." Hetty supplied.

"Her history similar to Sun-Hwa Kim's?" Callen asked, surprised to learn she had more hidden allies.

"Mm. The Korean War." Hetty answered simply. "According to her file, her father assisted two U.S. soldiers to escape as well with one CIA officer. Her mother escaped alongside with them. After the daughter was born in the U.S., by the time she was eleven years old child, the North Koreans military agency located and kidnapped her. She'd witnessed a kid, around her age, under orders to executed two CIA officers. It was an order she couldn't proceed and at a young age, they'd gave her a gun to ensure she finish the job. She defied their orders. In defence, she gun down one of their men to protect the CIA. In result, her father was gun down. The CIA rescued her and they were force to kill the little girl because the little girl turn her gun on Min-Oh."

"And Min-Oh Choi is now a director for the Korean Special Projects team. She was also the one who had received Grace's report that she was compromised and had also recovered every single evidence she can find to assist us catch Agent Steven's killer." Nell finished abruptly.

Hetty turned to Nell. A look of surprised plastered across her face. "Oh bugger. I did not get the memo. Was Director Vance trying to reach me before we went dark?"

"Yes. He tried to call you seven times before you requested Eric to shut down the Op centre temporarily." Nell agreed in a tense voice. "So, he'd reached me instead. I figured to still keep my phone just for good measure. The situation is definitely not good."

"How bad, Miss Jones?" Hetty asked, looking troubled.

"Really bad. We're looking at espionage and conspiracy here. Few hours ago, the N.T.S headquarters in South Korea was attack. The N.T.S. director was shot dead. The previous mole in N.S.S. that was imprisoned had escaped. The good news is one agent got lucky. Director Vance believed he might not be alive by the time we reach him. The agent alive is a technician. His name is Jun-Ho Park. When the terrorist invaded the headquarters, the N.T.S. director bought him enough time to get out and before he did get out, he infected the entire database just like we did." Nell informed the team.

Sam shook his head. "Where is this Jun-Ho Park now?"

"Since N.T.S headquarters shut down, we haven't been able to track him down. Eric and I are tracking his activities. So far, there is absolutely nothing. We're pretty much blind. We also don't know how many other hit squad there is either." Nell informed the Navy SEAL importantly.

"What do you mean the N.S.S. have a previous mole?" Callen reviewed slowly, trying to connect all the factors to resolve the first issue addressed for his team.

"Shi-Hyuk Yoon is the N.S.S. agent and mole. He was working with IRIS. When there was a suspicion on the N.S.S. agents data that had gotten stolen and agents being attack in their home, they'd discovered the last who had handled the security was him." Nell explained in a light tone.

"A clean slate of espionage. But, not quiet enough." Sam said observantly.

"How many agents dead?" Callen asked in a worried tone.

"Two field leader agents: Soo-Yeon Ji and Hyun-Woo Seo were discovered dead in the N.S.S. headquarters by Director Choi. When she discovered her agents murdered, again, shot at the back of their heads, she discovered a surveillance package. The surveillance package revolved on Agent Grace Stevens." Nell answered promptly.

"Looks like somebody is taking the agents out of the equation quietly and professionally." Kensi added with a disheartened tone.

"Right. We also send his photo to your phone. Right now, Director Choi is currently pursuing to track down Agent Park as we speak. Speaking of N.T.S headquarters being shut down, Director Choi also discovered the N.T.S. leader, Jung-Woo Sung was discovered dead in his home. Like all other agents that were found dead was also shot at the back of their head." Nell reported swiftly.

"I want this guy." Sam said heatedly, looking pissed off. "How the hell is he not caught? Shooting in broad day light not to mention two headquarters is shut down, plus a mole is on the loose."

"We got Agent Steven's killer." Eric assured him triumphantly. "He's not going anywhere. We'll get the mole. He can't hide from me forever. We'll get him." He told Sam confidently, noticing his temper had just spike up a meter.

"What about Seung-Hee Choi? The person Hyun-Jun was going to meet at the lighthouse." Callen reminded the team in a curious tone.

"She was killed as well. According to the report, the Korean law enforcement discovered in his car had a tiny box, an engagement ring. They'd speculated she is romantically involved with him and was supposedly engage. Like her supposed fiancé, she was shot at the back of the head in broad day light." Nell answered in a critical tone.

"So, who was Grace's killer?" Sam asked for the second time, starting to sound impatient.

"You're not going to like her killer or the fact our situation had became a turmoil." Nell replied in a wincing tone. "Two days after three agents were murdered, a hit squad came after her. This was a video footage that caught her killer."

Sam inhaled a huge sighed. He was tapping his foot on the ground now and the muscle man was doing everything to calm his own nerve. Even his fingertips were tapping rapidly on the side of his shoulders. Now, he was worried for the team. Particularly on security protocol lessons needing to brush up for Kensi, Deeks, Eric and especially their junior member, Nell. There were already a list of agents dead. They already lost one. What were the chances of loosing another?

 **[NCIS Los Angeles]**

The team watched Grace in her room. Their undercover agent looked around her surrounding. She raised her arms and pointed at the floorboard. Agent Stevens counted quietly to herself. Then, found a doorknob. She unlocks it and found a bag loaded with not just guns, but, grenades, knifes, a taser shot gun as well as a C4 smoke grenade.

"That is quite a collection." Kensi remarked, impressed. "How did she get those supplies?"

"I'm guessing she got her supplies through her North Korean friends." Sam prompted.

The team return their attention to the footage. Grace walked around the house entrance. Every entrance in her house, she rolled up a metal string, tying a grenade attached to the string. She did it with the back and front. The team shared a look with each other, astounded at how much defence Grace knew as an agent.

"Pre-emptive strike." Sam nodded approvingly.

The detective gave a low whistle. He even winced and looked proud at his partner. "I know we met her briefly. But, Grace just reminds me how tough she is like Kensi."

Kensi smiled at him appreciatively. They watched Grace went up to the first floor, a taser gun equipped at her back followed with a silencer gun in her hand. She had gone to her bedroom, to her laptop. The blonde woman bend down, typing away on her keyboard. The team squinted at the screen.

There was an irritable beeping noise. A second later, Grace pointed her silencer at her laptop and shot at it. She pulled out her cell phone. Then, type away. Eric bend down on his laptop, he didn't even wait for the team to request what she was typing and zoomed in on the screen and paused the video.

"' _Hyun-Jun and Seung-Hee are dead. You are in danger. They are coming for you.'"_ Sam read aloud, translating the Korean language in English.

"Grace was trying to warn Sun-Hwa. But, the message kept bouncing off." Callen said in an observant tone. "Her communication was jammed. The hit squad were professionals. Any record on her call log indicated she tried to call us?"

"No. But, at least she blasted her laptop." Eric answered disheartened. "She's worried the new terrorist group will go after us."

Grace was distracted from downstairs. Her house shook violently. The screen went blurry. Then, stood still again. The blonde woman race down the stairs. Then, she pulled out a C4 smoke grenade behind her pocket and threw it down the stair case. A loud yell issued from outside. Shots echoed inside the house.

"' _She's up there. She's up there_!'" Sam continued in a serious tone.

Footsteps hurdled up the stairs. The men walked through the hazed of smoke. Then, a loud groaned sounded. Grace had just kicked one of the hit squad man down the stairs. He slide down. She disarmed his gun, kneed him in the stomach before twisting his arm and to add a final insult to his injury, she kneed him in the stomach, causing him to hurl down the stairs like the first man.

Two more men arrived with their guns held high. Grace was too fast for them. One neat shot at each of them, they rolled down the staircase lifelessly like a rag doll. She held her gun defensively in the air, moving her gun around from left to right and scouted around the house. But, at the kitchen, there was a man, dressed in a military uniform outfit had walked out from behind her.

A blade is in his hand. The new stranger approached her very slowly and very quietly. Grace, walking backwards did not see or hear him. But, as she turn, the Korean military man slit her on her throat with a garrotte. The team flinched. Anger was soon boiling in their hearts.

Callen had his hand clenched to a fist, a determination look plastered on his face. His insides were screaming with anger. The partners shared a look with each other. Sam massaged his neck. Anger was pulsating through his heart. It was prickling his skin irritably.

Kensi had her hand clapped over her mouth, trying to digest what she had just seen. Deeks shook his head. He bowed his head, clearly feeling gutted. Hetty pursed her lips and looked away from the screen. The detective place a consoling hand on her shoulder, understanding how she felt.

Grace had her hands clasped around her own throat. She gurgled instead of gasping. A minute later, the blonde agent collapsed on the ground. Her eyes glassy. Blood poured across the glossy floor. Her killer walked out of the kitchen. On the way out, the Korean military man noticed the camera above him. He stopped. Then, took out his gun off his holster and shot the camera, causing the footage to go black.

"Ladies and gentlemen, meet Ji Young Kwon. He is Sun-Hwa Kim's supervisor's boss. The leader for the North Korean military agency. I bypass his firewalls and hack into his financial records. According to his financial record, Ji Young Kwon paid ten grand to eight military assassins. He had send the payment last weekend. This was the voice messages I manage to hack into his system. Apparently somebody else knew they were being watched." Eric reported in a triumph tone.

" _Thank you for meeting me, Ki Soo. I understand this meeting is a short notice."_

Hetty frowned. Her frowned was shortly replace with a look of surprised. Callen was certain she knew his voice.

" _You sounded urgent on the phone. I can't leave the N.T.S. team. I can't go back home either, not yet."_

" _I'm not asking you to return to the agency or leave the N.T.S. I want you to stay with the N.T.S task force and continue to help them. However, this matter is urgent, Hyung-nim. I am asking you to leave your current agency and I need you to go to New Zealand."_

" _N-New Zealand? Why all of a sudden?"_

" _Sun-Hwa Kim."_

" _C – Can we leave her out of this? I heard she's living a new life."_

" _I would. I really would. But, under the circumstances between myself and my superior, I need to do everything I can to protect my agents. I recently picked up his chatter and discovered the agency had located her. I discovered from the U.S. government agency that my superior are defecting their agents as well as their own. This is the main reason why I'd called you. I need you to find Sun-Hwa and warned her. You are also in danger."_

 _(There was a paused.)_

" _Okay, duty noted. What about you? W – Where would you go?"_

" _Your place. The Mah-Jong house. They're sending a hit squad on you schedule for tomorrow. This is everything you need to disappear and Ki Soo. I will stay and deal with my superior."_

" _Hyung-nim?"_

" _Be careful."_

" _I got you covered. You be careful too."_

Eric hit the end button.

"He called him 'Hyung-nim instead of his name." Kensi noted. "What does Hyung-nim mean anyway?" She asked Sam curiously.

Sam grinned at her. "It's a respected term for brother to brother in terms of their successors or predecessors ." He clarified. "A word for older brother. But, not related. Buddies use 'Hyung-nim' a lot. Whereas you and Nell would have call Hetty 'sun-bae' if you were a Korean. It's their Honour terms."

"What about a guy to a girl to their successors?" Deeks asked, interested.

"They're the same. You would have still called Hetty 'sun-bae'." Sam told the detective "But, if you were to addressed it to me and G, you would have addressed us as 'Hyung-nim.'"

"I take it you do know those two voices on the message?" Callen asked his boss curiously.

"Yes, I do, Mr. Callen. The two voices were General Chul Young Park and Agent Ki Soo Kim. Chul Young Park was the man who'd warned Ki Soo Kim about Sun-Hwa Kim. He is Sun-Hwa's supervisor. When the two terrorist groups were defused, IRIS and Athena, he'd approached me in Washington D.C, asking me to relocate his two agents, far from his superior as well as the agency. Mr. Beale, well done. We have indeed found Agent Steven's killer." Hetty complimented. Then, glanced at the Navy SEAL. "I want General Chul Young Park under NCIS protective custody. He needs to be alive and I want his superior alive and caught. His superior is the best lead to lead us to the third terrorist organisation. Do whatever you need to do to bring him back to Los Angeles."

"I will." Sam promised her. "Who's going to look after Ki Soo Kim?"

"Agent Ki Soo Kim will be fine." Hetty assured him convincingly. "He may be with the North Korean military agency in the past. But, his loyalty with the N.T.S task force prove he will eventually meet up with Director Choi. After all, she's tracking Agent Park as we speak."

 **[NCIS Los Angeles]**


	4. Chapter 4 Mirror of the Past

**Disclaimer:** I don't own NCIS, just the plot I dish out :)

* * *

 **A/N:**

 _Hello readers!_

 _One little request, those of you had been following, re-read chapter three. I took down chapter three briefly, changed just a few information on the briefing._

 _We get to learn more about Nell Jones in this chapter too!_

 _On the side note, I posted my OC characters background on twitter!_

 _Happy reading!_

 _❤ Sky_

* * *

 **Mirror of The Past**

 **Chapter four**

 **[NCIS Los Angeles]**

The Navy SEAL open his bag and pulled out a small backpack. He turned to the red hair woman and passed it to her. "It's just for good measure. I feel less worried once you are equipped what I'd packed for you."

The youngest member looked fascinated. Intrigued at his kindness, she set her new gift on the floor and unzipped it. Inside her new backpack, there were: three pairs of blades, a hand lock pin, two guns, three pairs of torch. The junior member handed the extra weapon for her boss. Eric was the first to speak, looking dejected.

"Why don't I have a gun?" Eric asked in a dejected tone noticing the three agents were smiling at each other.

"Nell have firearms training license. You don't." Sam explained in a strict tone. "I wished I have enough time to give security protocol to you guys."

"We'll be fine. We got Hetty." Nell replied confidently putting her weapon at the back of her holster. "And I'm a pretty good shot. Kensi have been giving me some lessons."

Sam glanced at Kensi, impressed. "Okay, kiddo. When I come back, you guys will get a security protocol lesson from me. I will give you some hand to hand combat as well."

"Thanks, Sam." Nell answered appreciatively. She return to her suitcase on the coffee table, walked back to the agents with a handful of earwigs as well with a handful of tracking button and a button cameras. "Okay, let's see how you guys look." She glanced at the agents then back on the laptop. "Resolution and cameras are online. How about audio?" Nell frowned as she clicked on her own earwig.

"Let's do this." Sam responded in a commanding tone.

"Roger that." Nell gave the agents a thumbs-up. "You guys are good to go."

The SEAL nodded at Nell. Kensi gave her best friend an animate blowing kiss. Deeks slapped a high five to the rookie on the way out. Nell hurried outside. She watched her friends leave, feeling a new bubble of anxiety crept in her heart. She felt like she was loosing her surrogate family.

"They'll be home back." Callen spoke from behind in a comforting tone.

Nell turned. She had totally forgotten he was the last to leave. The petite woman tried to speak. But, no words came out. Instead, the analysis technician hugged him around his waist. She buried her face on his chest. Her heart beating rapidly. Her tiny hands clung onto his shirt.

The NCIS leader stood still. He rested his head gently on her shoulder. His huge hand rested on her back.

"I'm sorry for hurting you, Nell. I really am." Callen told her sincerely.

Nell sighed. She let him go and smiled sadly as he pinched her on the cheek lightly with his hand. When she looked at him, she thought she could see how much the middle age man was hurting, how much his heart was aching and there was a guilt written in his eyes. One hand held onto his big manly hand and the other rested on his chest.

"You didn't. Trust me. In fact, you reminded me what I was like when we got our heart broken." Nell explained. She tilted her head to the side. Her hazel eyes twinkled kindly at him. "It feels like is eating you inside, doesn't it?" She described in an understanding tone.

Callen nodded. "You had a boyfriend?" He asked in a light tone.

"Husband." Nell corrected him.

The male leader looked taken aback. Nell Jones could be mistaken for a high school girl and she doesn't looked like somebody who was married.

"Yeah. I know. A kid like me, married." Nell even looked amused. She turn her back on him, determined to hold her emotions together. But, Callen didn't missed that she too, was hurting as well. He placed a consoling hand on her shoulder. The female technician clasped his hand in return, looking slightly crestfallen.

"What happened?" Callen asked softly.

"Mrs Nell Rogers, married to a FBI agent." Nell paused, sounding thoughtful. "I was an internship student with the FBI agency, working as their analysis technician. I met my husband there and our marriage was a secret. Nobody knew our marriage was a secret. My family had no idea either. They all thought I was a regular news reporter."

"How long were you married?" Callen asked, fascinated, keen to learn more about the NCIS junior member analysis.

"Two years too short." Nell answered, a hint of guilty tone in her voice. "Agent Christopher Rogers. He was sent to an assignment to Mexico, smoking out a mafia boss. My husband was away for six months. He had been tracking down a bank teller who was responsible for robbing five heist banks. He went in as an undercover lawyer accountant for a firm contract."

"He broke his marriage vow unintentionally?" Callen suspected carefully.

"Yeah. When he got back home, he confessed it to me straight away. I was the jealous wife who had forgotten there are professional boundaries that conflicts with career boundaries. There were a lot of ups and there were a lot of downs. We'd argued a lot. Then, we slowly drifted apart." Nell replied in a strain voice.

Thick tears leaked out of her eyes. It dribbled down to her eyelashes. Callen wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. His hand still rested on her shoulder. Nell sighed, trying to gain some composure. She glanced up at the ceiling, trying to find her words. Callen felt a wave of sympathy for her. It only dawn to him and his team had no idea about Nell Jones.

"Agent Rogers return to his assignment. We received a chatter arrangement that the bank teller is scheduled to murder an illegal immigrant family. He tailed her, hoping to find the family and he found them in the warehouse. My husband called for backup. I – I could hear there was a lot of shooting in the background. We lost communication with him. FBI got there too late. They'd discovered the warehouse was torch. His body was amongst with the illegal immigrants family." Nell concluded in a cracked voice.

"I'm sorry to hear it." Callen said honestly. He nudged her gently on her rosy cheek, feeling another wave of pity washed over him.

Nell nodded, looking slightly absent in her eyes. "When I heard it, I just wanted the world to swallow me. All I could think was – "

"Suicide." Callen supplied, understanding her feelings.

"Yeah. I just wanted to join my husband." Nell said, looking dazed. "So, I jumped in front of the car. When FBI discovered I was in the hospital, they asked, 'Why did you try to kill yourself'. I didn't answer. I couldn't answer. I felt my mind was jammed. I felt like I was locked in a nightmare. When I'd refused to answer, FBI did some digging on my personal background and discovered my marriage. In result, they'd strip my badge and before I knew it, I found myself packing away my belongings."

"You were fired?" Callen asked in a protective tone. He tensed up, looking shell-shocked.

"It didn't matter either way, Agent G. Callen." Nell responded in a respected tone. "I was ready to leave anyway. It was all too much for me to handle. The case on my husband's death still remains active. The bank teller is also out in the wind."

"So, we might run into the FBI and the bank teller one day?" Callen asked, intrigued. Smirk plastered across his face.

"I very much hoped not." Nell answered in a hesitant tone.

"Nell, I used to worked with the FBI. I know all about them dishing out their own pair of handcuffs. If you're worried about meeting them in the future, don't be." Callen settled both of his hands on her shoulder. He felt Nell's tension had ease off. "They got four agents to get through and let's not forget, nobody likes to mess with Henrietta Lange. It applies same to the bank teller as well. I'm going to make damn sure no one will hurt you."

Nell smiled uncertainly. She pinched the bridge of his nose playfully and tug it slightly. "Hmm. Thank you, Agent G. Callen. I must say I feel all gooey in the inside compared to the time I worked with the FBI. You know, I never did feel cuddly as a teddy bear when I was working with the FBI. Rest assured, there is nothing to worry about and I'm a qualified analysis agent with firearms license."

She let go of his nose. Callen bowed his head and chuckled. He liked how the small woman is a very straight forward person. Nell looked like a kid only because she was short. But, there are times that he felt she was very tough. Still, it was his nature to look out for her and the fact she was new is a very valuable asset to their enemies. Plus, she makes the perfect leverage. With past experience, Callen swore to himself no agents to ever to go missing.

"I can agree with that. FBI don't play nice." Callen agreed in a watchful tone.

"No. They don't. Besides, I feel more at home with NCIS. If I can go through this hurdle, so can you, Agent Callen." She advised him warmly.

Callen smiled broadly at her. He placed his hand on top of her head. "Somebody once told me, what you'd experienced what you did, is what make you stronger."

Nell blushed. "I will keep that in mind. Well, before you do leave for New Zealand, I need to give you an earwigs and camera buttons. So we can remain in contact at all times." Gently, she pulled his hand off her head and patted on it awkwardly, giggling slightly to herself.

Shortly, the junior member returned with the items in her hand. She helped him put the camera button and the field leader put his earwig in his ear. Like earlier, the pixie red head woman went back to the laptop. She clicked on her own ear piece. "Can you hear me okay?" She questioned him, relief to hear her voice sounded formal now.

"Loud and clear." Callen return his smile. He rolled his suitcases out to the door. Nell hurried out the front with the birthday cake pack in her hand.

"Okay. Picture and audio is online." Nell said with an observing tone.

"Thank you." Callen told her, feeling touch at her gesture.

"Hey Callen, before you leave, there's something you need to see." Eric said urgently. Callen hurried to his side. "So, I didn't just hack into his security system on his laptop. But, also his cameras that was in his office. I combed through his financial record from top to bottom. I found his IP address. Then, found this."

Eric pulled up a slide of photos on his laptop. Callen studied the photos carefully. He could see the retired North Korean woman in each photo. One laughing with her husband as they took turns to carry their little girl who looked old enough to be in primary school age.

"Her daughter's school is the best bet to find Sun-Hwa." Eric recommended in a confident tone.

The words crept into his mind as he re-called the voice message that was played earlier to his team.

'" _C – Can we leave her out of this? I heard she's living a new life.'"_

" _I would. I really would. But, under the circumstances between myself and my superior, I need to do everything I can to protect my agents. I recently picked up his chatter and discovered the agency had located her. I discovered from the U.S. government agency that my superior are defecting their agents as well as their own. This is the main reason why I'd called you. I need you to find Sun-Hwa and warned her. You are also in danger."_

"So, this was what he meant: new life." Callen remarked.

"Address and photos are already on your phone." Eric added hastily.

"Good work, Eric." Callen praised him, clapping a hand on his back. "And Eric, I'm going to need that photo of the attackers at the airport. Maybe our boy, Ki Soo Kim can help us identify who's the third terrorist organisation."

"You got it, G." Eric nodded.

He headed out to his front door, finding Nell was waiting to see him off. The field leader hugged her tightly. Then, kissed her once on her head and on her cheek. "Be careful."

"We will." Nell agreed positively. She smooth his back with her hand. Then, let him walked to his front.

Surprisingly, Callen stopped again at his tracks.

"And Nell?" Callen said concernedly.

"Hmm?" Nell replied innocently.

"We'll catch the bank teller. One day." Callen responded in a determination tone. "We'll be there for you." He promised her.

Nell smiled tenderly at him. Her eyes twinkled kindly. "You already are."

 **[NCIS Los Angeles]**

 **[New Zealand, Auckland, 13 hours later]**

It was fifteen minutes to three o'clock. A Friday. A weekend. The male leader had followed the addressed with a rental car and discovered the retired North Korean female agent was waiting by her car. Sun-Hwa Kim. She was just as his partner had described: tall, fair and beautiful. Her long black hair was up to her shoulder. Her outfit is a white silky blouse, simple dress and high heels. Callen glanced at his phone. Then, at the mother of one. He thought she looked troubled or paranoid even.

The U.S. NCIS agent climbed out of his rental car. Callen made sure his badge was shown in the clear, attached near his holster. Two pair of tracking button in his hand. He closed the door behind him, pocketed the items in his hands and begin to approach her. The Russian male agent glanced around the school entrance. His eyes landed on an oncoming stranger approaching Sun-Hwa Kim. Callen instantly recognised the Korean man as Ki Soo Kim.

Opposite the retired female agent, there was a witty, scrawny Korean man decked in black leather jacket and navy blue pants. When the mother of one was distracted and saw the stranger, she stopped dead on her track. She watched the stranger quickened his pace towards her. But, as he drew closer, the North Korean woman shook her head pleadingly, looking imploringly at him. Her eyes gaze at him briefly, then, slowly move her head towards the school gate. The former Korean male agent stopped walking just as he thought she was going to walked up with her.

In fact, that moment, the school bell rung loudly. Less than a minute, a flood of children poured out to the school park up. A high pitched voice echoed behind the school gate, booming out her excitement and out running was a primary school girl racing towards Sun-Hwa, screaming delightedly on top of her voice.

" _Mummy! Mummy!"_

Callen saw Ki Soo Kim had his back on her. The scrawny Korean man had his head bowed and his hands on his hips. Callen watched Sun-Hwa swept her little girl into her arms, juggling her daughter, laughing merrily. She was so occupied that neither of them had seen him slipped on a tracking button. Callen saw Ki Soo making his way to the school gate and he followed him. The Korean agent acknowledge Callen with a friendly nod, looking nervous. They observed Sun-Hwa and her daughter.

"Did you have fun?"

"Yeah."

"Did you miss mummy and daddy?"

"A lot."

"Would you like mummy and daddy to steal you away for a picnic?"

Her little girl's eyes brightened with happiness. She nodded vigorously.

"Ice-cream? My treat."

"Yeah."

"Chocolate?"

"Yeah."

"Chocolate it is. Oh look, here's daddy!" Sun-Hwa told her gently picked up her tiny hand and waved at an oncoming red vehicle pulling up next to her white car.

Her husband, a cheerful man dressed in a casual jeans, white long shirt had climbed out of his car. Callen could see from where he was standing there was a white sheep toy in his hand. His hand was tuck behind his back. He watched the husband grinned at his ladies, held up the toy in the air, nudging gently to it to his daughter who giggled delightfully. Her husband kissed their only child. Then, one on Sun-Hwa's lips. Sun-Hwa handed her daughter to her husband.

"I'm going to go into her classroom to see what she had drawn for us." Sun-Hwa declared.

Sun-Hwa walked away from her new family. She looked back once, ensuring that her husband was occupied in entertaining their child with the sheep toy. The female former agent looked ahead. Her eyes landed on Callen, standing next to her colleague. As she reached Callen, he clasped his hand on her wrist firmly, causing her to stand stock-still. "You're in danger. You need to come to NCIS protective custody."

Sun-Hwa looked from her colleague who nodded respectfully at her. Ki Soo spoke quietly in Korean. " _He's right, sun-bae. We're both on the hit list. You need to trust us."_

"I'm sorry, gentlemen. But, trust is not my thing right now. Please. It is better if my past is left unsaid." Sun-Hwa whispered to him in a wounded voice. "My husband does not need to know about my past. I gave up that life years ago." She shrugged off his gripped roughly.

"Sun-Hwa." Callen said concernedly.

"Meet me here at ten o'clock tonight. Then, I can decide whether I trust either of you." Sun-Hwa responded in a fierce tone.

The two gentlemen watched her walked to her daughter's classroom. A minute later, Sun-Hwa re-appeared, smiling fondly at the drawing picture she was holding in her hand and walked back to her family. Callen turn to Ki Soo Kim. He took off his black sun glasses and stretched out his hand.

"It worries me too that she doesn't take our warning seriously. But, you might have a better chance to convince me than her. I'm guessing you already know who I am." Ki Soo stated.

"Ki Soo Kim, right?" Callen shook his hand. "Agent Callen, NCIS."

"NCIS, huh?" Ki Soo said cheerfully. "How's Agent Stevens these days? She told me she's finally going home after her two successful assignments. I worked with her briefly, mentored me in firearms and security protocol."

Callen gave him a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry to be the one to tell you, but, Agent Stevens never made it home. She was murdered three days ago."

"What?" Ki Soo asked disbelievingly. His eyes widened in shocked, clearly stunned at the news. He turned to face against the wall, rested his arms on it, then, rested his head on his arm, clearly gutted. "O – Oh man." He stammered, looking solemn, then spoke in a shaky voice. "I – I didn't want to believed it. I knew something fishy was going on. It didn't make sense to me until now." He cursed under his breathe, then, kicked against the wall with his shoe.

"Define fishy." Callen commented in a curious tone.

"Ji Young Kwon is in coup with IRIS. All he cared about is getting his hands on that nuclear technology. He sealed a deal with their leader, saying that he'd promised all agents will be dead. One week ago, two nut job showed up at my doorstep. They told me they were FBIs agents, telling me they knew I was an antique's dealer in the past." Ki Soo informed him in a detailed manner.

"I'm going to guess they were retired agents and they didn't play nice." Callen said sceptically.

"They were. They definitely went rogue. I got curious. I decided to help them, so I can get answers trying to figure out why they would see me than going back to their own headquarters and use their resource." Ki Soo scoffed, shaking his head, feeling very idiotic. "So, I met up with them in a warehouse with my supplies in the bag." He sighed heavily. "When I did meet up with them, it confirms my suspicion. They were dirty. I walked right into an ambushed, thought I was a goner. But, my boss showed up on time and saved my butt."

"Nell, you got all that?" Callen asked through his earpiece. "Run any agents who were retired including CIA and DEA. Comb through financial record."

" _Uh, Agent Callen, I was retired." Nell pointed out, sounding uncomfortably._

"Sweetie, you were fired." Callen corrected her defensively.

Ki Soo chuckled. "How long were you two married?" He asked, amused.

Callen took his chance to slipped his tracking button on his shoulder. He placed both of his hands on his shoulder. "Buddy, she looks young enough to be my daughter."

" _Hi daddy."_ Nell chimed in.

"I will be happy to act as your father undercover." Callen said, feeling very awkward now, throwing an annoyed looked at the Korean man who smirked at him.

" _Awkward..." Nell replied in a sing-song voice in his ear piece._

Callen could distinctively hear Hetty clearing her throat loudly in the background.

" _Anyway, I will get right onto it._ " Nell said, determined to sound formally again, trying to cover her nervousness tone in her voice.

"Staying at the Swanson Hill Hotel?" Ki Soo guessed.

"I am." Callen gave him a look of surprised.

"So am I. I saw you checking into the reception earlier this morning. I wanted to approach you. But, wasn't sure if you would be paranoid." Ki Soo said reasonably. "We got company back at the hotel."

 **[NCIS Los Angeles]**


	5. Chapter 5 Mark of a Traitor

**A/N:** _Hello my dear readers!_

 _Sorry for the long wait on the chapter. I wasn't well the last two weeks and caught the flu. I have to actually take time off even with work on real life. Because you guys had been waiting patiently, you guys deserve two chapters this weekend._

 _On a side note, I, my friends can claim two OCs I had taken time to create. My real actual OCs that's not even on the Korean dramas. I decided not to list out the decease OCs and decide to keep it as simple as I can._

 _So, here they are my friends:_

 _Agent Sang-Min Tseo_

 _Jane Tseo (His six year old daughter)_

 _I also want to thank knirbenrots and angel897 for taking your time to review. Your reviews are valuable to me as it helps me improve my storytelling! Thanks to those who are following and sticking with me on my long delays._

 _❤ Sky_

* * *

 **Mark of a Traitor**

 **Chapter Five**

 **[NCIS Los Angeles]**

Finally, the two agents return to their hotel. At the foyer, the men noted the new stranger. At the sight of the stranger, Callen felt very wrong footed about him and moreover, the stranger was a very well dressed suite man. Quietly, he snapped a photo of the unknown guest. At the same time, he pulled the Korean man behind him.

"Hey Nell, I'm going to need information on this guy. The guy looks a bit shady to my liking. He looks like he's waiting for us in the foyer. Probably a retired agent. FBI. CIA or DEA." Callen reported in his earpiece.

"No problem. Give us a minute to run him through facial recognition." Nell obeyed instantly.

"We'll take the stairs. My room. If any of his guys find out how I'm going to take you and Sun-Hwa out of the country, they won't hesitate to shoot us." Callen instructed him, tapping Ki Soo on the front of his chest with his hand.

They rushed to the sixth floor. Both, took out their gun from their holster, checking and exchanging extra ammos to each other and loading their ammos into their guns. Once they'd reached to his room, Callen saw a fire alarm. He glanced at Ki Soo who nodded in agreement. He flatten himself against the wall. His gripped tightened on his gun.

A minute later, Callen tug at the handle on the fire alarm switch. The entire hotel was soon blaring with an irritable wailing siren. All the doors in the rooms flung open. Then the guests in the rooms filed out, except for his own room. The guests had started walking away from their rooms. Some, families. Some couples. Some children. All hurried down the stairs instead of elevators.

It didn't take long for Callen's room door to open. Sure enough, when his room door was open very slowly, a hand covered in black glove on the handle had walk out. Outstep from his room was a hockey mask man. Callen seized his chance, using his front door to shove his opponent against the wall. His attacker grunted. A clang sounded on the ground. The NCIS agent caught a glimpsed of a long round barrel gun had slid across to the wardrobe room.

Callen shoved the door several times against his unpleasant hit man until he had fallen on the ground. One last shoved at the first attacker, he walked into the corridor. Right on cue, he pulled his first attacker and swung in front of him just as a second shooter aim for him. The leader use his first attacker as his shield. The field leader shot his second hockey attacker twice in the chest just as his second intruder pulled his trigger at the same time. His second opponent keeled backwards as well with the man Callen was holding.

The NCIS leader move his gun around, checking through his bathroom, his wardrobe. Thankfully, the two rooms he'd checked were emptied. He side stepped on his first two dead attackers, closely followed with his only backup: Ki Soo. But, just as they were about to reached the room to see any of his classified materials were stolen, Ki Soo's eyes widen in shock, his voice yelling on top of his lungs with fear now pounding through his heart. He had just seen the third attacker creeping quietly behind Callen with a knife hidden behind him.

"Agent Callen!" Ki Soo put away his own gun back on his holster, lunged himself to the third opponent who was about to make a stab at Callen with a long knife.

The NK agent had seized the new opponent wrist on time, pushing Callen away to his left side just in time. At the same time, the blade pressed against his own palm. The blade drawing a long thin line on his hand. Then, blood was oozing through to the blade handle. Ki Soo's hand. He could feel his whole hand was stinging with pain. The stinging felt as though somebody had just stabbed him with a needle. The carpet was soon dribbling with thick liquid of blood. The carpet looked as though it was decorated with a thick brush of red paint.

A group of hands didn't budge against his opponent's hand. His opponent hand was as hard as a rock. Ki Soo clenched his free hand with his fist, punching the third attacker in his stomach with his hand several times. It worked. His punched had caused him to drop his long knife on the floor.

The second hit man was bending low now looking as though he had just taken a bow to him. He saw Ki Soo's gun behind his holster and just as he was about to seized for it: Ki Soo saw his technique, back away, took out his gun from the back of his holster and shot him twice in the chest. His unknown attacker slumped against the wall. Clear thick blood stain now smeared against the wall.

A second last unknown shooter was preparing his shot, loading his gun, adjusting his long barrel gun. But, Callen who was scanning around for anymore hit men found him and caught a glimpsed of a small red laser moving to the floor, then, making its mark towards Ki Soo's head. Shit, he recognised the M.O.

But, as he looked at who the sniper was it wasn't a sniper, however, a hired mercenary hockey mask man like the rest in the room trying to kill them. Without hesitation, Callen used his gun and pointed at the third hockey mask man that had climbed into his room from his balcony and aim a perfect shot at his hand. The last killer who had aim for Ki Soo's head thankfully went astray.

The long barrel gun clattered on the floor instantly. The second last shooter used his uninjured hand, pulling a knife out of his ankle holster. Callen gun him down three times in the chest. The shooter grunted. He fell forward. His front chest poured out with blood, staining the carpet floor. The NCIS agent stood up to his feet, his gun still raised, strode towards the hired hit man and kicked the gun and the knife away.

Ki Soo whipped at the sound of the flower vase cracking in half then a soft thump against the wall. His mouth hung open once. Then, close again. The NK man stared back at Callen, looking stunned. His eyes widened with pure nervousness, looking jumpy. Callen didn't blame him and the shot he'd just saved him from was a situation he had experienced a dozen times. It appeared to him that Ki Soo hadn't experience a shoot out like this one.

After all, Ki Soo isn't a field agent. Plus, he does look like a kid. A collage kid for that matter. Also, a witty looking agent. Callen have to admit for an intelligence agent to handle firearms is a solid satisfactory result. The leader smiled at him warmly. His thought wander to Grace. She had certainly mentored this kid well. Ki Soo's an NK intelligence agent just like Nell is and doesn't get to experience out into the field.

It wasn't over just yet. A new and last hired shooter entered the room. The final hit man was stepping to the room, adjusting his gun, a light red laser mark moving to Callen. Callen, however, didn't see the last shooter. Ki Soo did. He raised his gun, pointing at the shooter who was aiming for Callen's chest. A sharp bang went off Ki Soo's gun causing Callen to turn around, looking jostled. The US agent now see the last killer was trying to finish him off. Once more, like Ki Soo, he gunned down their last killer abruptly. His shot blended in with Ki Soo's shooting.

The last hit man slumped on the carpet floor. Blood spilled on the carpet floor. Callen kicked away his gun. Then, look back at Ki Soo who nodded back at him.

"You're welcome." Ki Soo said in a relief tone.

"Agent Stevens taught you well." Callen put away his gun back to his holster. "Twice, you save my ass. Least I could do is have a look at your injury. How bad?" He approached the intelligence agent.

Ki Soo nodded in agreement, looking slightly unprepared at his comment. It was clear to Callen he was also affected by her death. "She did. Grace wasn't just a mentor to me. But, a true friend. She ditch her deadline reports and gave up her time to mentor me, always giving me time to experience out in the field. As for my hand, I wouldn't worry about my injury. It can wait. It's just a scratch." Ki Soo replied dismissively. "Right now, we're short on time to find a second hit squad that will surely go to Sun-Hwa."

"You're close with Sun-Hwa?" Callen asked in a genuine tone, inspecting his cut. Ki Soo reluctantly stretched out his hand. As his hand was stretched out, the blood continued to bleed with thick liquid and the thick blood was now coating around his knuckle which was trickling down to his wrist.

"We go a long way back, Agent Callen." Ki Soo informed him. "Military boot camp. That's how we met."

"This cut is serious. I got a first aid kit in the luggage." Callen offered.

"A towel will do." Ki Soo said, sounding more worried about their current circumstances than his injury. He crossed the bathroom to get the a clean white towel from the rack. The agent wrapped the towel around his injured hand, feeling immensely relief. The white towel on his injured hand felt like a pillow to him.

As he was walking out, he saw a luggage in the bathtub. Inside the luggage, there was six sets of phone. Three cracked phones. Three new pair of phones. Baffled at his findings, he started combing through the dead mercenaries pocket. His findings confirmed his horrible pang of suspicion now bubbled in his stomach. It did confirmed one fact: the protection details on Sun-Hwa had been compromised very badly. Now, he needed to know how far it was compromised.

It wasn't just those evidence items that was discovered. There were other items that was: the marriage certificate document, plus, a badge was in the dead men's jacket made him feel even worse. Three sets of US passport, a birth certificate and a tiny box of wedding band rings. The Korean agent place his free hand over his mouth, closing his eyes momentarily, shaking his head. He didn't need to question Callen's plan on getting out of New Zealand. One look at the evidence says it all. There was even a US passport for him declaring he was Sun-Hwa's husband's brother.

Ki Soo pocketed the evidence in his jacket. The only evidence items he didn't put in his jacket was the ID badge he wanted to discuss. His inside bubbled with anxiety. He was now very on the evidenced he had just fished out and wondered if his own relocation was compromised just like his colleague, Sun-Hwa did.

As the NK agent open the ID badge, Ki Soo felt his heart had just stopped beating. He felt he had just stopped breathing. His throat clogged up. What made him feel stumped was the ID badge that bugs him even more with questions than answers and the name on the ID badge was a name he hadn't heard for a long time, not since he was relocated along with Sun-Hwa in different countries.

"That's odd." Ki Soo was reading the current badge in his free hand.

"What's odd?" Callen asked curiously, walking towards Ki Soo with a first aid kit box in his hand.

"Check the name of the badge and his status." Ki Soo told him, passing the ID badge.

Callen set down the first aid kit. "Agent Sang-Min Tseo, FBI." He read aloud. "You know him?"

"Yeah. I know him personally. He's also an NK agent, like myself and Sun-Hwa. Three of us. We were force to become NK agents. Out of the three of us, Sang-Min is the best of us. He is also our leader. Of course, not our C.O. We met each other at the military boot camp. The punk was known for trouble and had a record for a duo arrest."

"How come we never heard or was brief about this Agent Sang-Min Tseo?" Callen asked incredulously. "The only NK agents we heard is you and Sun-Hwa."

"That is because his classified file including his current file was wiped out." Nell piped up in his earpiece.

"And you know this how...?" Callen asked, sounding startled.

"I worked with Agent Tseo for two years. I was with the FBI and do know my old team." Nell reminded him nonchalantly.

"Right. Okay. So, what happened to his file?" Callen asked, sounding a little lost. Why didn't Nell include this Agent Tseo in the briefing.

"He infected his file with a Trojan virus. Agent Tseo is also an FBI liaison." Nell supplied.

 **[NCIS Los Angeles]**

"Put the kid on speaker. I need to hear this for myself. Why do I get the feeling I always need to save his ass?" Ki Soo asked in a dramatic tone.

Callen raised his eyebrows at him, taking out his phone, then, dialled for the technician. "All right, Nell, you got me and Agent Ki Soo on the line. What do you guys know about this Agent Sang-Min Tseo?"

"Remember how I said Sun-Hwa and I go a long way back?" Ki Soo reminded him.

Callen nodded. He open the first aid kit box, taking out a thick white bandage. He used the white towel to pressured on his wound.

"So is he: Agent Tseo. You wouldn't have known or heard about him because he was marked as classified by the CIA. He told me this one story about him and his little sister at Washington D.C. He said they were walking to school. On the way, a van pulled up and military army didn't just abduct them but saw a stolen military weapon that is a size of a rocket was fired at their school. Teachers. Parents. Children were all filed as missing. None of their remains was ever found. CIA were looking for the stolen military weapon that was responsible for the casualties. They were also focusing on searching two missing US security guards who went missing in Pentagon." Ki Soo explained in a solemn tone.

"He was filed as a witness protection. That's how we never knew about him." Callen said in a sorry tone.

Ki Soo nodded in agreement. "Exactly. Agent Tseo was protected by the CIA. He didn't stay long with them after being with the NK agency. However, that's how Agent Tseo ended up at the military boot camp with me and Sun-Hwa. The NK agency wanted the two US security guards because they knew information about the nuclear technology defence. The NK agency wanted their intel. You know what else the CIA discovered?"

Callen shook his head.

"Along with their investigation, they discovered The Tseo's family home was burn down and the parents were gun down. I was there, in the prison room." Ki Soo shook his head. "His sister was so innocent, horrified to be handed a gun. She was just nine years old. The butchers wanted her to kill their hostages. They told her it is the US fault that she is now an orphan, encouraging her she should take revenge. They then threaten to whip her brother if she doesn't comply. I could hear her crying from my prison room. Her screams. Then, not so much as a warning, gun shot went off."

"They killed her?" Callen clarified, feeling shell-shock.

"No." Ki Soo replied in a wounded voice. He had to pinched his eyes with his hand to stop his emotions from exploding out with anger. His eyes was swimming with tears now. "S – She uh, she shot herself, saying it was too much to bear. Worse, Agent Tseo never got the chance to bury his little sister. When we became NK agents, the three of us were given orders. All for that bloody nuclear technology Ji Young Kwon wanted."

"What orders did Ji Young Kwon give Agent Tseo?" Callen was now applying liquid medicine for his injured hand. Ki Soo felt a hot heated pain bursting through his wound.

"Oh man, this hurts like a bitch." Ki Soo complained honestly. He laughed nervously as he winced.

"I feel you buddy." Callen sympathise with him, patting him on his chest with his hand. "Better than eating a bullet any day. Any wounds we'd taken in the past hurts like bitch, brother."

"You were shot before." Ki Soo noted his comment.

"Yup. Five times." Callen told him conversationally. "After we get through this hell hole, I'll tell you that story over a beer. Beer is on me."

Ki Soo grinned at him appreciatively. "What orders did Ji Young Kwon give Agent Tseo? He was given the order to kill our C.O.. Ji Young found out that my boss was trying to ship our families off to the U.S. through an asset of his. When my commanding officer found out he was in coup with IRIS, his superior kidnapped his family. My boss set out to rescue them. But, he was too late. His superior shot his wife and his daughter in front of him. In his superior's eyes, our boss was mark as a traitor and so were all of us."

"And that was when his superior decided to defect all agents including US agent like Agent Grace Stevens." Callen concluded.

"That's right." Ki Soo acknowledge in a sensitive tone. "The Bureau called me three days ago. They were asking me if I had seen Agent Tseo since we worked with the NK agency together. The FBI told me he was supposed to checked in with them to be brief on his new assignment. Agent Tseo was assigned to assist Director Choi. She was the one who called me and got worried that he hadn't meet up with her in Washington D.C."

"When was the last time you saw Agent Tseo?" Callen asked, sounding knock back at this new piece of information. His mind was now spinning with more question.

"Washington D.C, five years ago when I was relocated to Hawaii. He was the one who saw me and Sun-Hwa off with our new relocation details. As I said earlier, the punk ass was also known for two arrest. He'll be okay. Sang-Min knows his stuff. After all, he was better than me and Sun-Hwa. I will tell you this, though, Agent Callen. His trust with the Bureau is very strain. The FBI wasn't keen for him to become their liaison. Mainly because of his history with the NK agency." Ki Soo explained formerly.

"What was his two arrest?" Callen enquired.

"Well, the CIA requested him to destroy his classified file, even his employment with them to avoid the NK agency going after anyone." Nell return back to the speaker. "It was a long interrogation because the Bureau believed he wasn't just a traitor. Worse, they believed him to be an assassin and was concerned he might have become a rogue agent."

There was a brief pause. Callen was now rolling out the bundle of white bandage, wrapping his injured hand, layered by layer until there wasn't any rolls of bandages to finish. He needed to voice out his view. Yet, his reasons always made a point and as much as he doesn't like to state him, in his best effort, he wanted to clear his name.

"I want to believe him. I really do, guys. The fact he didn't even checked in with the Bureau and his badge showing up with one of the dead guy's pocket is enough reason to look at him as a suspect. Somebody have to. Do you think there is any chance Agent Sang-Min could have gone rogue? I got to figure out why his badge ended up in my hotel room." Callen asked dispassionate at his own question.

"No." Nell with an indefinite tone. "I get where you are coming from, Agent Callen. I really do. I know this guy and he was the only true friend I have when I was with the Bureau. In fact, he was the only one who knew about my secret marriage with my husband. Yes, I know I said my marriage was a secret. But, Sang-Min was my dead husband's partner. The only person we'd dared to confide to. He was the only one who didn't question why I jumped in front of the car. In fact, Agent Tseo got suspended because the Bureau found out he knew."

"Why did he keep your marriage a secret?" Callen asked fairly.

"Because nobody in the Bureau believe he was not an assassin. There's always a 24 hour tension when he was at work. Everyone thinks he will shoot them even though he was cleared. Nobody in the Bureau knows what was on his classified file when he infected it with a Trojan virus. My dead husband and I were the only one who believed he was innocent." Nell answered in a gentle voice, clearly not offended with his question.

"What was his arrest with the Bureau?"

"Last year, his wife and his daughter got into a car accident. It wasn't a car accident. His wife, however, was not fortunate to have survived the car crash. His six year old daughter who had a heart congenital disease was in a comma for six month. The FBI arrested him, believing he was responsible at first given his history as an NK agent. They found out why he infected everyone's file, included mine. Agent Tseo always believed the NK agency will come back for him one day because he defied his order." Nell explained in a deflated tone.

"Sang-Min was not wrong on that." Ki Soo chimed in. "Surprise. Surprise. It was the NK agency after him. No? They go for agents like us because we'd defied their orders. It's enough reason for them to mark the three of us as traitor."

"Actually, no. The car accident that became a homicide investigation was not because of the NK agency. The FBI realised the one who killed his wife was her undercover assignment. Agent Banks was investigating a drug cartel ring and went in as the cartel's mistress. They found the driver was on a payroll with the cartel boss. The cartel boss was wanted for money laundering as well as human trafficking." Nell reported thoroughly.

"Who's Agent Banks?" Callen asked, feeling the odd one out in this discussion.

"Agent Samantha Banks is Sang-Min's wife. She was the US security guard in Pentagon who had gone missing. After she was a security guard, Banks became a DEA agent. They also have a six year old daughter, Jane who had a congenital heart disease. The last time I saw him was in Arlington where he dropped me off at the airport." Nell replied truthfully.

"You guys are in luck." Eric spoke up through Callen's phone on speaker. "I just got a hit on the mystery photo you took at the foyer, Agent Callen. Plus, I got a lead on how Agent Tseo's badge ended up in Callen's hotel room."

 **[NCIS Los Angeles]**


	6. Chapter 6 Traceless

**A/N:** _The next two chapters is a very brief crossover with the Five-0 task force._

 _Minor characters are so fun to play with!_

 _I appreciate your reviews! :) Thanks to those who had patiently waited for the new chapters._

 _❤Sky_

* * *

 **Traceless**

 **Chapter six**

 **[NCIS Los Angeles]**

"What's the lead?" Callen asked in a glad tone.

"Your mystery photo belongs to an Agent Andrew Kendricks. He's a retired CIA agent, now currently with the Navy State Department in Hawaii. The guy in the foyer is also a wanted suspect by the Five-0 task force. He is wanted for murder, kidnapping and money laundering. Yesterday, they discovered two CIA agents found in the Waikiki hotel. That's not all: two dead FBI agents were found in the warehouse in Sand Island. Neighbours heard the blast happened and called 911." Eric started his briefing in a steady tone.

Callen and Ki Soo shared a look of curiosity with each other.

"The cleaner discovered the agents was found in their hotel. On their M.E report was stated they were bound, bruises found on their wrist and their bodies which suggested the agents were interrogated before they were murdered with their throats slit. The M.E. also discovered a gun-shot wound on the back of their heads." Eric reported in a neutral tone.

"And why are the Five-0 task force interested in this Agent Kendricks?" Callen asked, confused.

"Agent Kendricks blocked the Five-0s because they discovered classified documents that was sitting in his hard drive. They found out that he appeared on our facial recognition just as you send his photo. So, they called us. They want this to be a brief joint operation." Eric said sounding insecure.

Callen sighed. "They do realise this is one hell of a case they'd just stumbled on. Does Agent Kendricks have some sort of history with the Five-0 guys?"

"Big time. Let's just say they're not in friendly terms with the CIA guys just like we are. Apparently he threatened our good friend Detective Danny Williams when he was investigating their own agent. He found out that one of the CIA agent was in league with Wo Fat, a Chinese arms dealer. In fact, Detective Williams was snatched a year ago and his partner discovered his apartment was bugged completely, making sure he dropped his investigation completely. The CIA force their detective to close down the murder investigation."

"What did Agent Kendricks threaten him with?"

Callen was already not liking him at all.

"He threaten his daughter's safety. There's another reason why the Five-0 team called us. When they investigated the agents death, they discovered Agent Kendricks had stolen the dead agents identities during their homicide investigation. They send Detective Kono Kalakaua as an undercover receptionist in the Navy State Department, trying to discover why he have their identities stolen. But, a group of hired security guards at the Navy State Department was discovered they were on his pay roll. Apparently her undercover was blown and get this, six hours ago, she was shot." Eric said in a speculated voice.

"How's Kono?" Callen asked in a paternal tone.

He noted Ki Soo looked worked up. The Korean agent covered his face with his hand, his face written with guilty and is now sitting down on the bed with clear difficulty. The Russian leader felt like he was missing a huge connection from him and couldn't shrug off the feeling Ki Soo looked knows their former ally.

"She's okay. Now out of surgery. Kono wants you to personally have this file. This, ladies and gentlemen was more than just a classified file that even the CIA doesn't want us to know or have. The detective found Agent Kendricks was paying a list of hired hit man along with four fake forgery passport that was liable enough to get through custom security. Their photos on the hired hit men is now on your phone. Looks familiar right?" Eric declared in a tad dramatic tone.

Callen's phone beep loudly in his pocket. He clicked through the file on his phone, studying the hit men profiles carefully. He felt a jolt tingling in his heart. It only dawn on him that the hit men were the band of dead mercenaries in his room.

"They were the ones who wanted to kill me and Ki Soo." Callen said, exasperate making Ki Soo look up at him. "So, you're telling me, these guys weren't just on his payroll but managed to bypass custom securities using the dead agents identities?"

"Exactly. There was another classified document that was breach in the Navy State Department. The Five-0s guys found Agent Kendricks had stolen an arrest warrant, infecting their database with a macro and cmj virus. Kono managed to recover the file he stole, bypassing his encryption and she was the one who'd discovered he had deliberately input that virus. The document that was recovered is an arrest warrant." Eric said, sounding edgy on speaker.

"What were the names of the decease agents?" Callen had a good idea who was the arrest warrant for and he didn't even need his technician to tell him. The arrest warrant was a perfect trap for him and Ki Soo. He wouldn't be surprised if the warrant alone was legit either.

"Let me just check their names for you." Eric said in a busy tone, his fingers typing away on his keyboard. "Whoa. Uh, Agent Ki Soo, you there?"

"I'm here. What's up?" Ki Soo replied adopting his good-nature way.

"Does Agent Tony Simmons and Agent Michael Nicholson sound familiar to you?" Eric asked slowly in a off-putting tone.

"Yeah. They remain in Hawaii with me to oversee that my relocation was not compromise, ensuring I was a ghost to all agencies. They were also the ones who'd escorted me to Hawaii from Washington D.C. Why do you ask?" Ki Soo responded in an assertive tone.

Callen raised his eyebrows with a query look. There was his connection. His retirement relocation was Hawaii and his gut feeling there was no doubt Ki Soo must have known Kono Kalakaua.

"...Because the two dead CIA agents the Five-0 are investigating as their homicide case _were_ Agent Simmons and Agent Nicholson. Agent Ki Soo, if your colleague Agent Sun-Hwa was compromise, so are you and Agent Sang-Min. They were the ones who marked your leader as classified. He needs to know the NK agency are after him as well. " Eric informed him in an anxious tone.

"Don't worry about the punk ass. He knows his stuff. He's a better agent in comparison to me and Sun-Hwa. Trust me. In fact, he reminds me strongly of Agent Callen. It's his mouth that gets him to trouble all the time. Makes me not question why my C.O doesn't smack him on the back of his head with his hand." Ki Soo responded in a positive attitude followed with a scoff.

"Punk ask?" Eric repeated, interested at his word of choice.

Nell giggled in a girly tone that made Callen feel the back of his hair stood up. He had never heard her laughed like this. It was rather sweet and more imaginable that she does sound and act so much more like a kid. The way she giggled at the background. Callen had to smile on her innocent giggle.

"Sang-Min always have his long baggy black hair tied up in a ponytail. Long, lanky and very messy hair. A bad boy look with a snake tattoo on his neck. He can pass for looking like a homeless man." Nell said teasingly in an affection tone.

Ki Soo winced sarcastically at her remark. "Ouch girl. I thought he was close with you."

"Of course he is. He's my oppa." Nell promised him. "You got to admit there's a lot to tease him about once you study _and_ meet him from head to toe. Agent Tseo is like Detective Deeks in comparison. Plus, his right ear pierce earring makes him look more like a badass and doesn't give people the impression he is a dad."

Ki Soo's smile widen broadly at her joke. He started laughing uncontrollably. The way Nell was teasing his leader was exactly the guy he'd saw everyday in his boot camp during his training days. She was certainly not wrong on that.

"I thought he was like a dad to you." He challenge her in an admired tone, stiffing his laughter.

"A mixture. I wouldn't pass as his daughter would I?" Nell kidded lightly.

"Oh man, Agent Callen, I don't know about your girl now. But, I'm so out of here." Ki Soo answered hastily, pretending to sound offended.

"I think you two are getting very carried away." Callen said attempting to draw them both back to reality.

"Yeah. We are. Sorry Agent Callen." Nell complied, sounding awkward. She cleared her throat, sounding as though their teases and joke never occurred. "I don't think so, Agent Ki Soo, cause we're not finish yet."

Ki Soo chuckled brightly, appreciating her sense of humour and the fact that Nell was not to be intimidated by her appearance. Callen and Ki Soo shared another look with each other. "Well, now we know how his badge ended up here. At least we know who the guy in the foyer is; plus, who Agent Kendrick really is working for. I bet he's on a payroll himself too. It would explain how his men were getting paid." Callen interpose.

"Ji Young Kwon. Well, the only question I got left now is where the hell is the punk ass. Somebody got to keep the fool out of trouble. I'm referring to his two wrong arrest on his record." Ki Soo said, scowling with a clear stamp of disapproval in his sentence.

Callen snickered, smiling slightly. "What about the two dead FBI agent our buddies picked up?" He asked, inputting his view.

"Yeah, about the two dead FBI agents that were found in the warehouse, our Five-0 buddies found there were four cell phones wired to a pole and believed there was a fifth cell phone that triggered the blast. Here's the kicker: the detectives discovered there was a burnt duffer bag. Their forensic scientist stated in their report that the duffer bag what was believed to be yellow pages." Eric reeled off importantly.

Ki Soo exhaled deeply. "Let me guess. The Five-0 buddies of yours also found my print on the duff bag. Their homicide victims were mercenaries. I got curious why they would pay me a visit when they got their own resource back at the Bureau. Somehow, they also knew I was an antique's dealer in the past. I went into the warehouse. My instinct was very off about them. So, I decided to do a bit of digging, believing the two FBI agents were rogue agents."

"The meeting went south." Eric guessed with an important tone.

"Yeah. It was a bogus meeting. If my C.O didn't track me down since I left Washington D.C. to migrate in Hawaii, who knows where I would end up." Ki Soo supported his opinion sincerely. "Does these two fraud agents have any connection with Agent Sang-Min?"

"Yeah. I knew them." Nell perked up, sounding disturbed. "They were the FBI agents who'd arrested him when his family was targeted and even before he became a liaison for the Bureau. According to their bank accounts, it appears that the two FBI agents had been on a payroll for a very long time. It looks like these agents had been on a payroll for twenty years with an offshore account. The offshore account is heavily encrypted."

"Any activities connected with Agent Sang-Min?" Ki Soo asked deep in his thoughts. He was frowning. Callen looked impressed. The NCIS agent could see where the NK intelligence agent was going.

"Speaking of their activities, the two FBI agents who paid you a visit does have a huge connection to Agent Tseo." Nell paused then quipped up in a suspicion tone. "The kind of connection I'm talking about is a surveillance package. The photos are attach on their email that appeared to be in the cloud drive. It was deleted briefly. Thanks to Agent Kendricks who allowed them to have access to his file. The surveillance photos is a package of him, his wife and his daughter at his school. It looks like these photos were taken before his wife and his daughter before they got into a car accident."

"So it is the NK agency. They are the reason his family was lost. The NK agency wanted to think it was his wife's undercover assignment. They must had promise a get out of free jail card to the mafia boss. In disguise of the whole investigation, they actually were targeting him all along, misleading everyone else. Agent Ki Soo said it himself he was the best out of the three NK agents." Callen debated in a strong voice.

"I wished I had seen this sooner. I was fooled to think it was because of his wife's undercover assignment." Nell said in a regretful tone, almost guilty.

"Nell, don't beat yourself up on this." Callen indulge her warmly. "You couldn't have known. Look at your findings as a good thing. If you didn't find the surveillance photos off these fraud agents, we would have still believed it wasn't the NK agency who was after him."

"If they weren't FBI agents who'd interrogated him at all, then who the hell are they?" Ki Soo asked, nonplus.

 **[NCIS Los Angeles]**

"Mercenaries hired hit men and a security guards who worked with his wife's mafia boss. The drug cartel. Those two dead FBI agents were not at all who they said they were." Nell said sounding cheesed off, feeling cheated on the lies she was fed for so long. "In fact, the names were just their alias."

"Let's look at it this way. It's a good thing Agent Tseo had destroyed his file making him traceless. It's better that way cause it sounds like his daughter is the NK's perfect leverage. It is exactly the same with Sun-Hwa and her family. Agent Tseo knew they were onto him that's why he went solo. He's certain when Director Choi met up with all her agents, you guys would have been killed in the process. He's trying to take them out quietly just like they are trying to take him out of the equation, knowing he is the best. They see him as a deadly threat. At least we know why they were not at all keen for him to be the FBI liaison." Callen concluded.

"Like I said, the punk ass does know his stuff. He's just a pain in the ass when he decided to walk as a lone wolf." Ki Soo reminded them, sounding annoyed. "And Nell?"

"Yes?" Nell said, a little surprise.

"You were there for him all the way right?" Ki Soo consoled her. "Nobody trusted him except you and your husband did. There's no reason for you to feel guilty because he wouldn't think of you anything less. He'll still see you as family. Trust me. I know him too well."

Nell spoke, sounding touch at his kind words. "Thank you, Agent Ki Soo."

"Can you guys also access the school's camera? I want to know who else was at the school besides me and Agent Ki Soo. It's possible if they were there before we were and if she was bug other than me, then, there's no doubt they now know where she is. It's also the best lead we got on who's the second hit squad." Callen appealed. "Look at half an hour before we'd arrived."

"You got it, G." Eric abide his order. His monitor beep. "Okay. I got something. Half an hour before you guys arrived, Sun-Hwa arrived to the school and was waiting in her car. She slept for a good fifteen minutes in her car. Guess who else bug her before you did?" He said in a benevolent remark.

"Agent Kendricks?" Callen inclined.

"Ding-ding-ding!" Eric agreed in a celebrated tone. "On his passport, he arrived to New Zealand three days ago. We also checked on your hotel security. Agent Kendricks was canvassing out the perimeter."

"Then we got our thief. Agent Kendricks planted these men to rob your room. My only worry is how much protection details did his men send through to his number? It could be a burn phone they send to, making him impossible for us to find him." Ki Soo informed them.

Callen looked blown away at his piece of information. "What do you mean?"

The Korean signal one finger in the air. Then, cross to the bathroom, found the luggage in the bathtub, zipping it up and rolling it over to Callen. "I found this stuff in the bathroom. I also found more protection details evidence on our friendly dead guys jackets."

"I never unpack anything. I went straight to the school." Callen said slowly in a troubled voice, feeling paranoid now.

Agent Ki Soo pulled the items off his inside jacket and toss it on the bed. "I didn't unpack anything either. I went to a nearby cafe to study the surveillance package my C.O sent me which was how I knew Sun-Hwa was at her daughter's school."

Callen picked up the evidence items Ki Soo had recovered for him. There on his hotel bed were: four sets of passport, two certificate documents and the tiny box. Ki Soo was right. How far did these items as photos reach Agent Kendricks who will not doubt to send to Ki Soo's C.O superior?

"Thanks." Callen told him gratefully. "Any chance you were followed?"

"I don't know." Agent Ki Soo replied honestly. "I was more worried that I might be too late to warn and save Sun-Hwa. There might be a camera at the cafe which was one street away from the hotel."

"Eric, you got that?" Callen had a sinking feeling they were both bugged.

"I'm on it." Eric responded enthusiastically.

"I have to admit, this Agent Kendricks is damn good. If he knows our plan on getting the hell off New Zealand, there's no doubt Ji Young Kwon will keep sending hit squad. He's prone to known targeting families. Take Sun-Hwa and Sang-Min as an example. My superior like to clean up loose ends, Agent Callen." Ki Soo replied, sounding pissed-off.

"And if the Five-0s are onto Agent Kendricks because he's a wanted suspect, Ji Young will make the Five-0s as his target too. Which means we also need to put them into protective custody." Callen censured concluding their discussion.

Ki Soo nodded in agreement. "Agent Kendricks already tried to get rid of Detective Kalakaua." He said in a respectful tone.

"How do you know Kono?" Callen asked eagerly.

"I met her through her surfing charity. She only knows my alias as Raymond Lu. I worked as a lifeguard and became a surfer teacher for her charity. Yeah. It was my day to day cover story. Kono was kind enough to show me around a few apartments she'd recommended. I feel bad because she got shot not knowing I was an NK agent. That I was the reason Agent Kendricks was after. At the same time, it makes me feel like a coward, telling her a lie everyday. Worse, I feel like I'm living a lie everyday." Ki Soo answered, sounding beat up with himself.

"You were doing your best to keep her out. You were protecting her. It was best the Five-0s didn't know your involvement with the NK agency at that time. Think of how many hit squad your C.O.'s superior would have send to them." Callen responded, trying to convince Ki Soo.

"Was I?" Ki Soo questioned himself, dispirited.

Callen sighed. He sat down next to him feeling like an older brother to him, giving him reasonable advices. "Ki Soo, I know that guilt all too well because I had been there before. I was in a deep undercover op, trying to infiltrate a gang of bank robbers operating a bank heist, following the money trail. I got involved with a woman name Kristin Donnelley. Like you, I was force to live a lie everyday and it does eat away your heart, slowly and painfully. It making you feel lost at who you are as a person."

"It doesn't get any easier though, does it?" Ki Soo replied, understanding him, feeling consoled slightly.

"No. It doesn't. I walked down that road twice." Callen agreed gently, aware how much guilt Ki Soo had bottled up inside him. "All I'm saying, Ki Soo is putting this much guilt on yourself won't do you any favours. Sometimes it is easier to leave the lie in place."

"But not always." Ki Soo nodded at himself.

"No, not always." Callen repeated approvingly.

It was now Ki Soo's turn to expulse a sigh. Callen smiled at him, patting him on his back with his hand.

"How do you want to play this?" Ki Soo asked Callen openly. "We need to shake him off our tail if he knows we're trying to get Sun-Hwa out of the country. He knows your escape plan."

"Agent Kendricks does have an arrest warrant on you. We could lure him out. Set a trap for the Five-0 guys to catch him in the act, enough charges to put him away for jail time." Callen suggested, impressed at his plan.

"He does." Ki Soo agreed, cottoning onto his plan. "Agent Kendricks doesn't want you, Agent Callen. He wants me. I'll go out as bait. The least I could do for Detective Kalakaua is to hand Agent Kendricks to him. What are the chances the Five-0 guys are here in New Zealand for him?"

"It's a good plan." Callen replied, a hint of hesitation in his voice. "A lot of risk. You need to remember you're in NCIS protective custody. There's a good chance you will get shot at. It's what he wants and the arrest warrant is a perfect excuse to execute his plan. If you're going in as bait, so will I. Agent Kendricks will see me as harbouring a fugitive."

"Speaking of the Five-0 task force, Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett and Lieutenant Chin Ho Kelly is already in New Zealand. They landed an hour ago when you were at the school. They had also ordered a FISA warrant for Agent Kendricks." Nell reported thoroughly.

"Where are they staying at?" Callen asked, astounded.

"Rendezvous Hotel." Nell said, bemused at the name of the hotel.

"Hey guys, you got a minute?" Eric called at the background on the phone speaker, ready to give a winded detail on his findings once more.

"What did you have, Eric?" Callen responded.

"I was combing through every single cameras I could find and it doesn't look good. You guys were tailed since you left the Swanson Hill hotel. He even followed you two streets away. Agent Ki Soo, while you were paying your rental car with cash, he slipped on a tracking button behind your car plate. Then, went back to his car and pulled out his laptop. Agent Kendricks didn't need to monitor until he went to Sun-Hwa's school. You were bugged as well, G." Eric said in a tense voice.

"Thanks guys. Eric, keep an eye on the tracking button on Sun-Hwa. We need to know how many hit squads we're dealing with." Callen commanded in a firm tone.

"You got it, G." Eric answered formally.

He hung up the phone. Then, turn to Ki Soo. "Let's go say hello to Agent Kendricks."

 **[NCIS Los Angeles]**


	7. Chapter 7 A Haze of Crossfire

**A/N:** Thank you for sticking with me until the end! I did say I wasn't going to give up on this story and I intend to finished it just like my Nano project I started in June. This story is well deserve to be continued. My studies are done. Thanks for looking into my profile. I also welcome fans to keep in touch with me because I post a lot on my Fanfiction Facebook account. Sometimes I go off the reservation without any warning. I met some of you there already. So, those who hadn't, I highly recommend because I do disappear time to time. I truly appreciate your patience!

On a side note, I revisited a few KDrama episodes and I believed I got some Korean Honorific words wrong. The word "sun-bae" can be both address for male to male, female to female, male and female. It is a word for somebody who is superior than you. So, for an example, Callen is the leader. Those status who are below the leader are to address him as sun-bae. So, if Kensi, Deeks, Nell and Eric's status are lower than his, they are to address him as "sun-bae" and for Callen to address his boss is definitely "sun-bae" because Hetty's status is higher over everyone else's. Of course, so is the old sneaky Owen Granger.

A guy to address a girl as "Noona" means older sister.

Well, you get my drift and I feel so mean on this chapter. You will often hear a lot of Korean honorific terms. I feel is appropriate to be used in the story due to the fact with Korean agents being involved and in overseas.

Happy reading! You guys deserve the chapter because I made you wait for over six months plus.

Love Sky.

* * *

 **A Haze of Crossfire**

 **Chapter 7**

 **[NCIS Los Angeles]**

Hands gripped on the guns. The two agents whirled their weapons in their hands in a defensive position. They covered the perimeter and looked around the foyer. The male agents returned to the middle of the room. Ki Soo clapped his hands on the side of his legs. He looked incredulous at the NCIS leader.

"Where the hell is this guy?" Ki Soo place a hand on his hip.

"Eric, Nell," Callen spoke through his ear piece, "I need you to confirmed Agent Kendricks if he is on Jin Young Kwon's payroll and find how much he knows about Agent Tseo."

"We're on it." Nell responded. "I take it he's not in the foyer anymore?"

"No. He's gone. Any chance he's in Agent Ki Soo Kim's room?" Callen speculated.

"Let me check that one minute for you." Nell complied.

"Hey guys!" Eric said through their the agents ear piece in the background. "Agent Kendricks is in Ki Soo Kim's room and he's not alone. He's with six men in black suites."

"Six men in black suites?" Ki Soo repeated, wondering if he had heard correctly. He looked alarmed. His heart racing wildly. "I take it they're not bothering to cover their ugly faces?"

"No. They are not covering their faces with hockey masked." Eric agreed in a nervous tone. "Why, you know them?"

"We, uh, met a couple of times." Ki Soo responded irritably.

"Who are they?" Callen demanded. He raised his eyebrows at him.

"I wished I knew. One evidence is for certain: they're not the same person as my C.O met five years ago. He knows them personally. I do have a fair idea who they are and they're usually the people to arrest agents who betray their country and we met five years ago." Ki Soo supplied.

"Okay. How many times did they try to take the three of you in?" Callen asked warily.

"Once." Ki Soo smiled at him humourously. He clapped a hand on Callen's shoulder while Callen gave him a look. "I'm dead serious on this. Why do you think those guys show up after five years later? After all, Agent Tseo was the one who put them in the hospital for five years and Director Choi was the one who put them on the no flight list. She put them on the NSS watch list and alerted Washington. I won't be surprised if they bring additional backup."

"Fair enough. That explains why there was identities stolen and the FBIs coming after your sorry ass. What happened in Washington five years ago?" Callen pocketed his weapon back in his holster.

"How do you think?" Ki Soo responded sarcastically. "If Agent Tseo didn't see us off along with our CO and the Director we wouldn't be breathing. I wouldn't put those away just yet and I have something better for them upstairs. As a matter of fact, you didn't have to have Nell and Eric search through Agent Kendricks because I got a camera planted in my own room."

"You didn't happen to tell me?" Callen looked annoyed.

"Hey, for a guy who had trust issues in the past and being on the elimination list, do you blame me?" Ki Soo retorted smartly. "The North Koreans trust no one. Look at Sun-Hwa's reaction today! She ignored the two of us. Why don't you asked your technical guys to follow her movements? By the way, I appreciate your eyes, Agent Callen."

Ki Soo hold the bug in the air and raised his eyebrows. Callen looked impressed. "What about today?"

Ki Soo reposition the bug on his t-shirt button. He studied Callen and looked seriously at him. "You know Agent Grace Stevens. So do I. My mentor was murdered in cold blood and she's a true friend to me. I will help NCIS to catch the one responsible for her death because I won't let her die for nothing. That's enough trust, Agent Callen."

Callen nodded. Ki Soo took out his mobile and gave it to him. "You want to see him upstairs or here?"

"I want my staple gun in my room." Ki Soo told him. He looked like he meant business. Callen looked confused. "You will see. Let's go, Agent Callen." He clapped a hand once more on his shoulder before moving towards the elevator. Then, pushed the up button.

"A staple gun?" Callen quizzed him. "It sounds painful."

"You and I know both we ran out of bullets on our last open fire. You got any better ideas?" Ki Soo studied his phone carefully. "I guess Agent Kendricks didn't find what he came to my room."

"What do you have on you?" Callen asked stepping into the elevator once it slide open. Ki Soo pulled out a stack of passports and an envelope full of cash.

"New identifications papers." Ki Soo explained. "Don't ask me how my C.O got them. I'm guessing they're useless now that you got yours secured."

Callen studied the brand new identities papers in his hand. "Mine is compromised. He will know how we're getting off New Zealand." He handed the new identification papers back to him. The leader was surprised that Ki Soo had his arms out on his chest. He shook his head.

"I'm a wanted man, Agent Callen." Ki Soo reminded him. "First action Agent Kendricks will take is pat me down and the arrest warrant is still in play."

"Won't he just arrest me too for harbouring a traitor?" Callen noticed the elevator reached its level.

"Yes they will..." Ki Soo responded unwillingly. He exhaled. "As I loved you brother, you're won't be any use if you get kidnapped. It's what they want to stopped you getting Sun-Hwa the hell out of New Zealand. We'll just be playing right into their hands."

Callen stared at him. He had to admit that Ki Soo was downright observant and had definitely cornered every problem to be resolved. After all, Ki Soo is very skilled as an intelligent analysis agent and his advises are very solid with rock evidence. He may be a kid. But, Ki Soo had proven how qualified he is as an agent.

The elevator door ding loudly. They waited for the door to slide open. Callen followed Ki Soo out. Ki Soo leaded him to the corridor and once more studied his mobile. His eyes still on Agent Kendricks. However, the visual he had on the CIA agent didn't last long because Agent Kendricks, the bold man had gotten the gist on the camera.

Agent Kendricks didn't take the tiny camera lense off the ceiling. He shot at it causing the screen to go static. Ki Soo cursed under in Korean.

"That little bastard!" Ki Soo kicked the wall with his feet.

"What do you expect? The guy's a CIA agent. We should be thankful your paper identities wasn't compromised like mine." Callen pointed out.

Now, he was wishing he understood Korean language and made a mental note to attend a class for it. The men watch as more screens were blown out with Agent Kendricks gun. Ki Soo looked gutted.

"I got your back boys." Nell spoke through the ear piece. "He's walking out of the corridor now."

"What about the six men dressed in black suites?" Callen requested.

"They're one level below yours." Eric replied. "Nell got eyes on Agent Kendricks. I got eyes on the six men in black."

"He's not far from you," Nell told them.

The men remained behind the corridor. They didn't even dare to look at him. Now, they're relying on the sounds with their ears. The elevator door went ding loudly. The CIA glanced briefly behind him. Callen grasped his hand on his gun. He waited and chance a look at him once Agent Kendricks stepped into the elevator. The leader could have sworn what the CIA man had said under his breathe. There were only two words.

"Kill them."

 **[NCIS Los Angeles]**

The men walked into the room. Callen drew out his gun and whirled it around. He scoured the room, looking left to right. Ki Soo walked calmly into his own hotel room. It was as Ki Soo Kim told the NCIS leader a while ago: he didn't unpack anything. It was only paper identifications he stowed in his jacket.

Callen walked back towards him. "Clear. He looked like he didn't take much."

"I didn't need to unpack anything." Ki Soo took out another envelope. This time, a yellow envelope. "I thought you should have this since you're trying to warn Agent Sun-Hwa. This is a surveillance package of her every movement. They're photos. My C.O. sent it to me."

Callen accepted the yellow envelope. He opened the yellow envelope and studied the photos one by one. There were five photos of Sun-Hwa alone by herself. The photos acted like a clock work and it was all the common places she will go to: her home, the park, her daughter's school, shopping centre and even the market place where she shops fresh food.

Sun-Hwa looked like an ordinary mother and an ordinary person. Reality was, whoever had captured these photos knew her whereabouts and Callen felt as though a torch had lit in his mind. He understood why Ki Soo had given the surveillance photos to him because Callen was the best hope to trust right now. Still, Callen had to asked what was the fall out with him and Sun-Hwa because he knows Ki Soo sees her as family and sees her as his older sister. That's why he went through this extended length to protect her.

"What was the fall out between you and Sun-Hwa in Washington D.C.?" Callen asked curiously. Ki Soo sighed.

"There was no fall out between us. She just doesn't trust anyone. She's like you. A majority of the time she walks as a lone wolf. Noona... Sun-bae..." Ki Soo exhaled once more. "One scar is enough to make the tables turn, Agent Callen. My sister just lost too much. She doesn't need another permanent scar. Be careful of what you'd promised because she holds onto it as her only hope."

"It was the trust between her and her C.O that was the fall out." Callen stared at him.

Ki Soo nodded. "Hmm. He promised he will do anything in his power to protect her mother and sister from the North Koreans and that is if she completes her mission to turn the South Korean agent into the authorities." He explained.

 _'I'm sorry gentlemen. Trust is not my thing right now. Please, it is better if my past is left unsaid. My husband does not need to know about my past. I gave up that life years ago.'_ Her voice echoed in Callen's mind as he reflected her reasons for not trusting them right away.

His thoughts were pulled out as he watched Ki Soo zipped opened his luggage. The Korean agent wasn't kidding about his staple gun. The staple gun was huge and Callen could only goggle at the size of his staple gun. It was large. It looked like an eyesore. Callen quickly pack away the photos and stowed it in his jacket. He was surprised to find Ki Soo passed him a load of ammos.

'How the hell did he bypass custom if he is on the elimination list?' Callen thought incredulously. It seemed Ki Soo read his mind because he answered his unasked question. He beamed and almost looked proud on his own success.

"My C.O arranged a cargo plane to ship my weapons and used the black market supplies with various aliases." Ki Soo explained in a humble tone.

"Fair call." Callen nodded approvingly.

"All right. We're set." Ki Soo announced. He loaded his own gun with his new ammo.

"Eric, Nell. You're going to be our eyes and ears." Callen commanded through his ear piece. He pocketed his ammos and loaded his gun.

"Roger that." The technicians answered.

 **[NCIS Los Angeles]**

Callen hid in the closet. Ki Soo at the bathroom. He pretended to do his hair and combed it with his hand. His staple gun right next to his leg. The door in the bathroom closed. The Korean agent went still as he heard Eric's voice in his ear. He picked up his staple gun and gripped tightly on it with his hand. He hid behind the door.

"All right, Agent Ki Soo. You got one checking into your room. He is three seconds away from you." Nell reported. "One... two... three..."

On her count of three, right on que, the bathroom door burst open. Ki Soo clicked on the staple gun several times and aim it to the first man in black suite on the shoulder. He used his free hand and steer his gun away. Successfully, the gun shot at his shooter's toe and a loud bang went off in the area. Soon, he twisted his arms. The man in black suite grunted in pain. He flinched and limped.

Ki Soo marched him forwards. "Why don't we say hello to your little friends?" He hissed in his ear.

"Agent Ki Soo, you got two standing at the exit and on the right." Nell warned him.

"I got him. Give me the word." Callen replied confidently.

"On my mark - " Nell started.

She didn't even finish her sentence or begin her second round to count down because Ki Soo had made his move without his only backup and had taken a high risk right at this moment. He pushed the man in black suite outside.

The moment he did, they started firing and shot at their own man. The first man in black suite slumped straight down. Blood poured out of his mouth and his eyes closed. Multiple bullets spread over his front chest and shell casings dropped on the floor. Ki Soo swing his gun backwards and forwards. He shot three times at the man guarding the exit. Then, shot the third man in black four times on the chest before flinging himself back to the bathroom and flattened against the wall.

Callen felt annoyed Ki Soo spoke in Korean to them. He was really wishing to know the language and wished his partner was with him to translate for him. He was surprised Nell supplied all the information for him before he could even ask and wondered whether she knew more than a few languages because she was translating everything to his earpiece in English. Of course, she had worked once with Agent Tseo when she was in the FBI.

Callen looked most amused at how much Ki Soo was insulting the North Koreans men. He sounded he had enough and was sure as hell pissed off with them. His temper had already hit the roof before the conversation finished. He sanctioned that was the main reason Ki Soo couldn't be bothered to wait for the countdown to finished and went off on his own.

"Who the hell are you guys?" Ki Soo called out from the bathroom.

"We're the State Security of North Korea. We're here to punished traitors." The man responded in the middle of the room.

"Wow. You guys are a long way from home. You know that?" Ki Soo responded sarcastically. "Why don't you and your sorry little friends go back to where you came from and tell your boss you didn't find the three NK agents?" He insulted coldly in a bitter tone.

"Shut your trap!"

"This is how far I will tolerate. Back the hell off, you shitheads!" Ki Soo yelled back hotly. He was fuming now and clear anger was travelling through his veins.

There was no further response. Ki Soo knew then they will finish what they'd started since the three NK agents betrayed them. Still, he never regretted his action. "You guys are being suicidal, you know that?" Ki Soo snapped bluntly.

"You got one at your way. Agent Ki Soo, you got five seconds." Nell warned him. Callen heard the edge in her voice. He knew she was worried for him and the fact Ki Soo had acted on his own had set off her own alarm bells. "Please stay on my mark. We don't need you in a body bag."

Ki Soo nodded in agreement. Now he felt guilty and a look of regret plastered across his face "All right, sweetheart. On the count of five."

"One. Two. Three. Four -"

They did not finish their count. They didn't have to because Callen had sent a neat shot from his closet and shot twice on the fifth man's chest. The fifth man fell forward. Callen turn to his right so fast and shot the last man three times in the chest. Ki Soo looked shell-shocked and Callen gave him a look.

"That's how Nell felt when you went on your own with your stupidity. You acted before she finished counting." Callen told him accusingly.

Ki Soo chuckled and beamed at him. "I'm sorry, Agent Callen. So did you."

Callen nodded and accepted his apology. A loud clang echoed in the room. The field agent quickly turns his head with his gun raised in the air and stepped out of the bathroom. When he stepped outside the bathroom, there was a strange hissing sound and Callen located a gas canister was unlocked. A steam of green smoke rose to the air and travelled across the room. The green smoke rose to his nostril.

Suddenly, the effect overwhelmed Callen. He dropped his gun on the floor. His vision blurred. The Russian man fell sideways and his eyes closed immediately. Ki Soo saw him fell and raced to his aid. He caught him in his arms before he could hit the floor. A heavy deep breathing sounded behind him. Ki Soo turned to find a person all dressed in black and had their hockey masked covered there face.

More importantly, he had a black oxygen mask hook around their ears. The closer step the stranger took, the closer his face is revealed to Ki Soo and him alone. The closer step the newcomer took, Ki Soo's eyes widen in shocked and saw it was the very same man they saw back at the elevator. The man underneath the mask had a gun in his hand. He raised his gun in the air and pointed at Ki Soo.

"Agent Kendricks." Ki Soo mouth out.

"I will be the one to finish the job and send your body back to pieces." The stranger voice was distorted due to the mask he wore and without further warning, two shots went off with a loud bang. Nell let out a stifled gasped in the background.

The stranger, under the mask, patted them down and took their items. He found the paper identification and pocketed it, included the yellow envelope surveillance photos. Plus, he took out the earpiece off Callen and tossed it to the floor. He stamped it with his boots and even their weapons. He looked out to the exit. Then, made a hand gesture.

Soon, more men in black suites file in and dragged the two agents out of the room leaving the two technicians and the operation manager back in Los Angeles, feeling completely stunned at their current outcome. They knew they had no choice to call the only backup they know in New Zealand and that backup was Lieutenant Steve McGarrett and Lieutenant Chin Ho Kelly who is already in New Zealand to make their grabbed for their CIA agent.

Unfortunately, all of them are too late...

 **[NCIS Los Angeles]**


	8. Chapter 8 The Granger Danger Zone

**[Updated: 28/10/2016, Friday]**

 **A/N:** Official title to be now called: The Granger Danger Zone

I finally came up with one. I knew it was lingering around in my brain. Brief crossover with Hawaii Five-0 task force.

Enjoy reading guys! I would like feedback on his characteristics.

Love Sky

* * *

 **The Granger Danger Zone**

 **Chapter 8**

 **[NCIS Los Angeles]  
**

The car screech to a halt. It parked right in front of the Hotel Mercure Auckland. Two vans pulled up beside the blue car and two men climbed out. The commander of the Five-0 task force had arrived on the scene with Lieutenant Chin Ho Kelly. They had an earful on the case about Agent Kendricks and recently heard he is the man responsible to kidnapped two skilled agents in New Zealand.

Steve McGarrett is like his good friend, Sam Hanna. They served in the Navy SEAL army. He may be a detective on the island. But, a military man through and through. He's six feet tall and muscular, short brown hair and blue eyes. He may be headstrong and stubborn in terms of getting the job done. However, a very humble man.

His colleague, Lieutenant Chin Ho Kelly, is six feet tall like. Short curly hair, brown eyes and an Asian man. He is a very well respected man on the team and in the Honolulu Police Department because he was accused of stealing the money from the forfeiture locker which contained evidence of the drug money.

Steve took out his laptop from his car. He put it on top of his vehicle. He grinned broadly and saw the familiar face of his rookie, Kono Kalakaua. "Hey kid, you slept okay at the headquarters?"

Chin looked surprised. He gave a questioning look at his boss. "I thought you went home, couz, or did you kick Danny out with your good old crutches?" He teased her lightly and smirked at his own humour.

Kono is indeed Chin's cousin. She is his younger cousin and they acted as siblings. When Chin was accused as being a dirty cop, she was the only one who'd believed him innocent and nobody in the family would even see him as family. His family felt he had dishonoured them with the accusation pinned on him. Kono was the only one who had worked out the truth it was their uncle who stole the money to save their auntie to buy a new kidney from the black market.

She discovered why their uncle did it: because their auntie became fatally ill. Furthermore, Chin was the reason why Kono became a cop. Kono is the only female detective on the Five-0 task force. She has dark brown shoulder length hair, usually loose around her shoulders and sometimes ties up. Her eyes are also dark brown. Like Kensi Blye, she is also the sniper for the team and skilled with computers. She may be a junior rookie on the team. But, established herself quickly and is quite the formidable cop.

Kono gave the men her good natured smiled. She was sitting in the office and had her crutches next to the computer table. "Sorry couz. We didn't want to worry you and Danny to worry. HPD is currently investigating my home." She explained.

"O-kay. What happened?" Chin asked, astounded how discreetly Kono and Steve can be about confidential information.

Steve looked hesitant. His face creased with stress. Kono nodded at him. "We'll get to that in a minute. I promise. We can always question Ki Soo Kim when he comes home to Hawaii."

"Yeah. Our boy is grounded to Hawaii." Steve explained. "The least everyone knows we're all being targeted, the less messy it is and you know how melodramatic Danny can be about it all. He will most definitely a fit and grill him and fish out who else is a North Korean agent. He'll be paranoid. He doesn't need that and got Gracie to look after."

"You mean he's paranoid like you?" Kono raised her eyebrows at her boss followed with a smirked on her face. "Of course, he will. What do you mean Ki Soo is grounded in Hawaii?" She looked worried and saw Steve exchanged a look with Chin. "You put him on the no flight list or something?"

"No. We received another call from NCIS half an hour after we landed in New Zealand. Apparently, Agent Ki Soo and Agent Callen was kidnapped after they lost contact with them." Steve explained.

Kono sighed deeply. She had met Agent Callen a few years back working on a small pox case. She looked troubled. "I heard. Good timing, too, boss, because we got a guest from NCIS in our office."

"Sam?" Steve guessed curiously.

"Hetty?" Chin suggested.

"No. Gentlemen, I like you to meet Assistant Director Granger of NCIS. I will let him explain his reason for being in our headquarters." Kono introduced professionally.

Kono gestured at the tall bold man with very little hair. He had a deep slur voice and stepped into the screen.

"Let's cut to the chase, gentlemen. Welcomes are most unnecessary now and time is on the essence. I was immediately sent from Washington DC. Henrietta Lange had just briefed me about Agent Callen and Agent Ki Soo'. I promised I will not be here for long. I am force to be here in Hawaii only because the CIA agency are refusing to cooperate from head to toe. It tells me two things. Firstly, they are covering their sorry asses to make their own agency not to look dirty. Secondly, they don't want a cold rumour floating about a CIA agent interfere with national security matters and meddling with our country alliances matter. This is enough reasons for me to be here."

"Okay. So, what kind of information is the CIA refusing to give us? He murdered two CIA agents." Steve stated stiffly.

"I am aware on that, Commander McGarrett and yes, they are refusing to even cooperate with NCIS. I will personally visit them in person. I gave my access to your detective to breach the CIA network. Where is Detective Daniel Williams?" The director asked assertively.

"He's at Grace's school. His daughter." Kono told him. She looked taken aback at the uninvited request on the screen. "Now that was fast from the CIA headquarters. I guess we don't need to visit them in person."

"Trust me, detective. We still do." Director Granger nodded at the detective's computer work approvingly.

"We are receiving an incoming call from Langley. Standby, everyone" Kono announced on the background.

Chin and Steve glanced at each other. The three of them fell silent and focus on the third screen which appeared at the corner on his laptop. Steve noticed Director Granger stepped out of the screen very briefly.

"I thought I made myself clear not to meddle with Agent Kendricks and his file is confidential. What do I have to do to make you understand?"

"Is that a threat, Agent Blake?" Director Granger replied coldly, drawing a stab of silence effect which spread across the room.

"You got NCIS agency involved with Agent Kendricks?" The CIA man asked in a shocked tone.

"They did not and how we met is none of your business. I came to Hawaii on my own accord. When I arrived in Hawaii is a personal matter and I want your fullest cooperation. You barred Detective Kalakaua's way and ours through our contacts of both accounts. Yet, she is merely doing her job." The Director responded defensively.

"Her job had absolutely nothing to do with the CIA and you know better than anyone all agents' whereabouts are confidential!"

"Then why do I receive first-hand information in regards on two CIA agents were murdered in Waikiki hotel in broad daylight and why Agent Kendricks was determined to get rid of Detective Kalakaua?" Director Granger sounded he had sink his own teeth on him with clear toxic in his skin. "Our business is involved only because two of our very best agents had been kidnapped and if you don't give me those damn files on Agent Kendricks, I will arrive at your doorstep with a FISA warrant. Do I make myself clear?"

Director Granger pressed the hang up button. He held a finger in the air. The third screen that had the CIA man briefly fell out and he didn't even give the chance for Agent Blake to respond back. No sooner did the screen was ringing loudly in the background. The director picked up the phone once more.

"What do you mean two CIA agents murdered in Waikiki hotel and how dare you suggest he murdered our two agents?"

On the second time, the director press the button, clearly done with the CIA outlandish outburst. It wasn't until a yellow file was sent through the screen. Director Granger smiled at the sight of the file he longed required.

"Now I know why Henrietta enjoys hanging up the phones on the CIA. It always worked." Director Granger told Kono fondly about his scare technique. Kono grinned approvingly. She let the director press the button when the call came back for the third time.

"Are you happy now?" Agent Blake asked sarcastically.

"Was that so difficult to hand over Agent Kendricks file?" Director Granger challenged back bitingly.

Agent Blake cleared his throat uncomfortable. "I thought our agency is cousins with NCIS. Don't tell me you just adopted the Five-0s as your new cousins?"

"I just did, Agent Blake. You know, I do not tolerate well when the CIA does not cooperate with NCIS. Oh, if you threatened Detective Williams again and his family for investigating a murder, I will come to Langley with that FISA warrant. Personally." Director Granger concluded firmly.

He press the button for the very last time and the third screen on the laptop vanished. "I guess we don't have to visit the CIA now." Chin looked confident. He looked impressed.

The three detectives sighed with much relief. There was still tension shown on the director's face.

"Thank you, director." Steve was shocked at how quickly the CIA had back down after so many failed attempts at blocking them for threatening his partner and his whole family. He had always see his team as his real family.

"Don't go thanking me just yet, commander. The CIA are a real pushover. Besides, I still owe you and the team a drink for doing a job well done at Los Angeles with the small pox case." The director reminded him.

Steve nodded. "The drinks on us. The CIAs are a pushover and wasn't so keen for any of us to close the investigation."

The director sighed and looked disappointed about it. "I'm not surprised. They don't want this rumour to be flying back to Washington. Believe me. The whole CIA are real bitches."

The detectives looked shocked at what the director just described the CIA. What he'd said was also true, because the CIA can be dirty, just like Agent Douglas. Plus, it sounded to them he had enough with their cold behaviour and it sounded to them he had dealt with them countless time which was why he was so cold with the agency. The director quirked an eyebrow and notice the looks on their faces.

"I'm not convinced they will back down so easily. Don't let your guard down on them." The director sighed and looked bothered about it. "Let's get started on his file, detective. What do we have here?"

"How long you think we have on his file?" Kono bit her lips. She had a sinking feeling the file might have a timer expiry on it.

"Thirty-five minutes. Trust me. It's how they work." Director Granger assured her grimly about it.

"They're real swell." Kono scoffed.

"As I said before, they're real bitches and they're never keen to share their Intel with anyone." Director Granger agreed grimly about it.

"So NCIS and CIA are a happy family like we are?" Kono wondered.

Now Director Granger was forcibly reminded of his female agent, Kensi Blye. They were both formidable. The director gave her an ironic smile. "Dysfunctional family, detective. Dysfunctional. I did wish a countless times our allies are a cosy bunch. Unfortunately, the CIA agency are often a pain in the ass. I also do not condone any agency covering a traitor in their own ground."

"What was Agent Kendricks last assignment with the CIA?" Steve requested.

She smiled. Then, pulled out the files on Agent Kendricks onto the third screen. "Agent Kendricks was working to investigate eight private investigators. All private investigators are scattered across the globe. Eight private investigators station in the following countries: China. Japan. Korea. Singapore. Los Angeles. Hawaii. Bali. Taiwan. His last assignment revolved on retrieving a flash drive in Hawaii. Apparently, he resigned CIA because his family was kidnapped and killed. There were no reports on his family death to say who was responsible." Kono informed the team briefly.

"I will be the judge of that." The Director picked up the phone and dialled for Agent Blake once more.

"Why are you calling me when you know you have thirty-five minutes left to use the file?" Agent Blake asked in a not so friendly tone. He sounded irritated.

"Agent Kendricks left CIA a few years back. There are no reports on his family's death. What was on the file he was asked to retrieve?" Director Granger repeated his question. He had to gripped on the table and looked ready to throw a fit of temper.

"You know where the office in the CIA headquarters in Hawaii and I cannot explain this over the phone. Go there and my agent will brief you on this." Agent Blake demanded. "You have twenty minutes left before I take the file on Agent Kendricks off the Five-0 task force."

"You're a real ass, Agent Blake." Director Granger criticized him coldly.

"You're welcome." Agent Blake answered bluntly.

Director Granger slammed the phone down and sighed.

"What now?" Kono asked him worriedly.

"You and Detective Williams come with me. Commander, you investigate the crime scene with Lieutenant Kelly. Time is on the essence and Agent Callen must retrieve the two North Korean agents back to Los Angeles. My technicians can work through on his latest financial records. See if there are anything else that is fishy. Copy the file, detective. Discreetly. Now, this is now more than just national security." Director Granger declared hotly.

"Yes, sir. Take care, gentlemen." Kono replied warmly.

"You too, kid. I'll call in and check on how you and Danny are doing once we wrapped our mission from New Zealand." Steve watched her worriedly.

"Thanks boss. I appreciate it. You and couz be safe. Okay?" Kono replied seriously. "I mean that. One bullet is enough and be careful with Agent Kendricks. He knows we're onto him."

"Copy that." Steve smiled in response and ended their conversation.

 **[NCIS Los Angeles]**

The two screens went out and he closed his laptop. He turned to his colleague, then, his SWAT team.

"Why did Kono stayed overnight at the headquarters and not at her place?" Chin asked concernedly. "What is really going on Steve?"

"The director got a point about this case being more than just national security. I wasn't going to bring this up after we get Agent Kendricks." Steve replied reasonably "I'm sorry, Chin. I know how much she means to you. But the three of you are my kids too. Make no mistakes. I wanted to be damn sure what the hell we're dealing with because none of this make a load of sense. You know what I mean?"

"I know." Chin sighed. "Did you just call us kids?" He looked touched. "I wonder what Danny will say to that."

"It certainly feels that way." Steve clapped a hand on his shoulder. He pulled out a yellow envelope out of his jacket.

"What's this?" Chin took the package unwillingly. He looked startled and alarmed at the sight of this new information that was thrown at him.

"I escorted Kono's home from the hospital. That day, when we entered her home, there was a strong gas leak. We got out on time before her house exploded with explosive. I found this on her front door. Surveillance package" Steve explained. "I told her to stay at the headquarters while the situation calm down. She's a bit shaken."

"You think is better she stays over at your place?" Chin suggested.

"No." Steve looked paranoid. "I was thinking to move her to NCIS protective custody. He sent me the same surveillance package to me too."

Chin knew that 'he' could only mean Agent Kendricks his boss was referring. Steve pulled out a second yellow envelope and gave it to Chin. Chin studied the photos and looked baffled.

"Can we be sure is Agent Kendricks and not the CIA?" Chin asked fairly. "They weren't so keen to assist us in finding Agent Douglas's killer."

"Now, I'm not sure about anything. I just know we have to be extremely careful." Steve stated reasonably. "Let's start with the hotel. We can't keep Agent Callen and our boy, Raymond Lu this long."

"We can most definitely agree he is a North Korean agent." Chin raised his eyebrows.

Steve nodded. "Yes he is, Chin. He's one of us. I'm recruiting him to Five-0. A North Korean agent on our side will be valuable and given how troubled Director Granger sounded at the end of the line, we can expect to run into an unexpected terrorist case. Director Granger is right. Now this case is more than just national security. It feels like a blind war we are marching in on it."

"Director Granger mentioned Agent Callen bringing in two agents back to Los Angeles. Is there a possibility there could be more agents we don't know about in Hawaii?" Chin suggested.

"I won't be surprised if there are more sleeper agents on the loose. Right now, our priority is Agent Callen and Raymond Lu." Steve clapped a hand on his shoulder. He paused to the SWAT team and noticed the look Chin was giving him.

"Shouldn't we call him Ki Soo Kim than Raymond Lu?" Chin corrected him uneasily. Steve smiled at him sarcastically.

"He may be Ki Soo Kim to NCIS and to the North Koreans. But, to our team, he will always be Raymond Lu and because he's protecting us for what he was involved on this case, it makes it less complicated for him and for us. I just don't feel right to know he is a North Korean agent. He looks too ordinary to be one." Steve explained reasonably.

Chin sighed. Then nodded. "Fair call."

They were about to brief the SWAT team when they received another phone call from the two technicians on NCIS team.

"Hey guys. We got a major lead that will help you find Agent Callen and Agent Ki Soo Kim." Nell told them urgently. "How secure is this transmission?"

"We're very secure. Go ahead, kid. Give us some good news." Steve responded. He thought Nell sounded very young on the phone and she did sound like a kid.

"Okay Eric. You're good to go." Nell said.

 **[NCIS Los Angeles]**


	9. Chapter 9 The Needles in the Haystack

**[Update 25th of December, 2016]**

A/N: Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas! Consider the next five chapters as your present! I mention I wasn't going to post anything until the project itself is completed. But, because I am in a festive mood and realised the last update was in October, I thought to update a few teasers. This chapter is considered a crossover with Hawaii Five-0. It's not the last one. There's another later in Chapter 15 which will give you a good jolt. Stay safe and God Bless to all enjoying a quiet rest! I feel you guys if you are working the holiday season. In between, don't forget I am on facebook and twitter. A fistful tissue box is something you're going to need.

Merry Christmas! Hugs, Sky

* * *

 **The Needle in the Haystack**

 **Chapter 9**

 **[NCIS Los Angeles]**

"We spoke to the manager in New Zealand International Airport. Your guy, Duke Lukela, reported to us that the manager discovered an anomaly and there is a shooting incident on the day prior you'd arrived." Eric started. "Check this out. Their schedule employment doesn't match and according to their custom security, it picked up two of his aliases he'd travelled under and Agent Kendricks is a very busy man for the last six months."

"And this is where the anomaly comes in?" Steve wondered.

"Bingo." Eric agreed enthusiastically. "Recently, we discovered on his financial transaction that match the six employees who was kidnapped during the shooting incident. There was one match that stand out. Two employees were wired fifty grand and the money that came from is an offshore account. But, we found another dose of second layer in its anomaly."

"Enlighten me." Steve remarked.

"The manager told us that: four employees were supposed to be on the four weeks' annual leaves. We have two full-time staffs. Two part-time staffs along with two casual staffs. Now, this is where the second layer of anomaly comes in." Eric's voice went distorted at the end of the line and there was an irritable static that followed.

"Eric?" Steve asked, perplexed, pulling his phone away from his ear as he winced. He looked troubled. "Hello, Nell?" His heart clenched tightly when there was no response for a full minute. "Hetty?" The strange static noise at the background occurred again. "Does anyone copy?"

He moved around outside the hotel hoping to get a better reception for the phone. Steve sighed with much relief as he heard Nell's voice at the end of the line. "We copy, commander. Sorry, we're trying to keep the hacker at bay away from your server. This hacker seemed to know what they're doing. Problem is we don't know if the hacker is Agent Kendricks or a different person when we'd traced the IP address and when we did, the hacker started stealing sensitive classified information such as our agents' files and this is where the major lead comes in."

"How far did the hacker got into your server?" Steve asked concernedly.

"We'll get to that in a minute." Nell promised him "I just don't know how much time we have on the line. Let's get back to Agent Kendricks. He had been a very busy man for the last six months. He didn't use one account but three different accounts for three banks and listen to this, commander, for the last six months, he had travelled between New Zealand, North Korea and South Korea using his two aliases."

"And that's when you trace for the hacker thinking they know where our agents are." Steve speculated.

"That's right." Nell agreed. "His itinerary stamped his last trip for New Zealand and his new alias declared him as a business man using the name Cole Norman and under this name, we'd discovered he had purchased four different warehouses. The four different warehouses use to be under the company called Paper Plus Group and on his purchase record, the company had lots of issues with the building in the past."

"There had been a maintenance hassle as well as plumbing issue due to the material designed of the building. Therefore, the company had been shut down for years. We think the hacker is coming from those warehouses and we'd believed it is where Agent Kendricks is bringing our two agents to dispose there. So, we'd dig more digging on all warehouses. Here's where the major lead get into our investigation: The Paper Plus company told us they had done their usual standard procedure." Eric told him in a triumphant tone.

"Okay. So, there's another anomaly. What's business usual standard procedure?" Steve finally caught onto their anomaly and could link in the connection Agent Kendricks used.

"Their standard procedure is to ensure all their orders are checked thoroughly and the red truck is to send back for maintenance. They were going to renew their license and the manager discovered from the employees there was a break-in before they all come into work this morning and this morning, the manager of the Paper Plus Company found the six employees were discovered in its recycle dumpster covered in blood. The New Zealand task force discovered those six employees were the ones that matches the employees kidnapped from the shoot-out incident. Any takers on the C.O.D. and its M.O?" Eric invited the commander for his inputs.

"Let me guess, cause of death was a gunshot wound at the back of the head, execution style just like the CIA agents back in Waikiki beach." Steve replied promptly. "Are we chasing the hacker or Agent Kendricks in the warehouse or catching two needles in the haystack?" Steve asked impatiently.

Eric smirked at the end of the line. "I like this guy." He told his partner. Then, chuckled. "We, my friend, are indeed catching three needles in the haystack." He corrected the commander. "Agent Kendricks and two needles. Two hackers managed to get into our server and collected highly sensitive material information such as our agents' files."

Steve felt his heart had just stopped beating. "How many are we talking about?" He felt sick in the stomach.

"Four of our agents." Eric replied uneasily knowing Steve will be twice as paranoid as their team. "Agent Callen, Hanna, Blye and Detective Deeks." Nell answered uneasily.

"Your detective assured the two hackers getting close to your server is blocked and confirmed no files had been stolen. Commander, we're sorry, we got to bail. We have a timer on our laptop and it looked like the hacker knows where the agents lived –" Nell took over the briefing urgently.

"Kid, do what you have to do to get the hell out of there. We can handle from here. You hear me?" Steve set out his empathy and felt even more defenceless. He was now very alarmed.

"You got it, commander. We'll get back to you as soon as we can." Steve could hear her voice went static just like her partner's and she sounded guilty at the end of the line.

"You did a great job, kid." Steve praised her.

"Addresses are on your phones." Nell concluded the briefing.

"And Nell, _this – is –not – your – fault_. All right? Agent Kendricks always know we were going to catch onto him." Steve reminded her.

"Thank you." Nell appreciated his sympathy. "Take care and good-bye, commander, lieutenant." She acknowledged Chin who looked taken aback.

"Likewise, sister." Chin nodded back to the red hair.

"Thanks, kids." Steve replied, appreciating their efforts.

Steve put his phone back on his pocket. He swiped a hand over his face and exhaled before pulling out his laptop. Chin came over to his side. "Boss?" He enquired curiously.

"I'm worried for the kids." Steve admitted.

"Yeah. I take it Agent Kendricks got onto them just as we did." Chin surmised. Steve nodded in agreement.

"He did. How the hell did he figure out where they all lived, huh?" Steve said, sounding pissed off. "Nell said there's a timer on one of the agent's house. Does that make sense to you?"

"It sounds like they'd been compromised more than once." Chin suggested.

"That's what I thought. Something feels very wrong." Steve sighed. "I know they're NCIS. I just feel sick at what Agent Kendricks is doing because he got every single file on the four agents and he can use it to sell it to the highest bidder. Black market."

"Do they have an idea where their last trace on the hackers?" Chin wondered. "We can track it and stopped the files from being sold."

"Four different warehouses. Chin, we don't have that time and our boys don't have that type of time." Steve said worriedly. "I haven't heard anything from Sam or what he's doing now."

"Hey, the kids are smart. Plus, they got the old ninja Henrietta Lange on their side and they're with her. They'll be fine. They just proved to us they are the magicians who whizzed up a lead for us." Chin assured him. "Trust me, I don't think Agent Kendricks want to meet the boss of NCIS. Danny was already scared of her the first time we'd entered their headquarters. Sam is a SEAL like you. I'm sure he's fine. A good friend to work with and you still owe a steak dinner Sam mentioned of our last meeting when he came with Agent Callen."

Steve cracked a smile. "That I do owe him a steak dinner. I want to know what we're getting ourselves into or better question yet, what did our boy, Raymond Lu, got himself onto the elimination list?" He concluded.

"Yeah. That too," It was Chin's turn to exhale a sighed. "You think it's still wise for Kono to be transferred to NCIS protective custody now they're compromised?"

"Her shooter's still out there and there's no telling when he'll hit her again." Steve responded defensively. "And yes, regardless that they are compromised, she will still be transferred over to NCIS protective custody. Who else does a better job at disappearing? Kono won't be safe until Agent Kendricks is behind bars and her shooters is still out in the wind."

Chin nodded in agreement. "Yeah. We can ask why there are North Korean shooters waiting at Raymond's apartment. Nell said he got shot on the shoulder, right? Let's hope he's still kicking."

"He better be still kicking because I'm going to squeeze every single information out of him to see who else is a freaking North Korean agent so I don't find one more hiding under my bed." Steve said through clenched teeth. He looked annoyed.

Chin laughed lightly. He didn't blame his boss for sounding paranoid because he felt his boss's pride was shot down given the fact he should have paid a closer attention to who Raymond Lu is and to find out he's a North Korean agent irked the Navy SEAL big time.

"All right. Let's see what the magicians got for us today." Chin turned his attention to the laptop, double tapping on the keyboard with his fingers. "The last pinpoint location on the hacker came from four different warehouses. The Paper Plus which runs on the Southern Motorway. The Warehouse Group sets on the Auckland Harbour Bridge. The third needle comes from Thames. Where do we start?"

"The red truck. That's where we'll start looking." Steve stated. "Call every single law enforcement in New Zealand and checked through these three warehouses. Agent Kendricks want our boy alive for a reason and he shot him in the shoulder just like he shot Kono because he doesn't want them to talk about something they know. We need to find out what spooked him and why compromised NCIS. The HPD squad will secure the hotel perimeter and retrieved Agent Callen's undercover assignment file while we search for the red truck. We find the red truck we are guaranteed we will find our boys."

 **[NCIS Los Angeles]**

Steve McGarrett didn't care about the road laws in New Zealand. He was speeding like a maniac and his colleague gripped tightly on the handle bar each turn he made. Steve wasn't going to allow a New Zealand police officer to tell him off. He will be more than happy to pay him cash and shut up so he can get on with retrieving the two best agents. It was all he cared for and beating the hell out of Agent Kendricks will satisfy his anger that's been coursing through his veins.

His team that was family to him was personal. His team member that was shot which was Kono made it ultimately personal for him and made him on a speed rampage today. Angry cars drivers bypass him. Angry cars honking him and making rude gestures out the window did not help to mellow his temper which erupted to the peak by the minute and he didn't care he was driving on a different lane because his mind was solely focus on getting to the red truck. They'd recently received a notice from the New Zealand police department there was a sighting of the red truck and an APP alert was sent out to every local law enforcement department.

The commander gave them a death glare at the angry car drivers. The team leader felt his heart pumped wildly at the sight of the dark red truck now in front of him. He shifted his gear. His feet hit the accelerator and sped straight up to the red truck. The Navy SEAL turn to his colleague. "Take over. I'm going to take out their tires."

They climbed out of their seats. Steve hurled himself over to the top of the car dangerously. At the same time, the red truck made an irritable scratching sound against their vehicle, trying to bounce them off the cliff. Chin had his hands gripped tightly on the steering wheel and remembered they are now on the Auckland Harbour Bridge. They were now on a long bridge towards the Warehouse Group instead of the Paper Plus Company.

Steve knew exactly what Agent Kendricks was doing and it was a complete detour to delay them all. Chin bear the vehicle to the right so the two vehicles are on equal footing. Steve, now standing dangerously on the rooftop on the car drew out his weapon and the red truck on the side door drew open. Chin saw there was three North Korean shooters in hockey masked drew out his weapon.

"Steve!" Chin shouted, he looked alarmed and ducked. The car swerve right to left as the hockey mask men started shooting at them.

"We're too close to lose him, Chin!" Steve shouted back. He aimed four perfect shot at the front tires. The red truck came to a sharp loud halt.

Chin seized his chance and pulled over to the school causing his boss to roll down to the ground. He hit the brakes before he climbed out of their rental car and drew out his weapon. But, just as he was about to pull out his own gun, the North Korean shooters jumped out of the red truck and open fire at them. A piercing bullet went straight to his arm. Chin flinched and felt a sharp stinging pain shot through his arm. He turns around and raise his gun to aim fire. His boss stood up, stood in front of him and started firing back fiercely at them from the ground.

Shots fired in the middle of the night. Steve pulled Chin towards to the vehicle and use that as their main source of cover. The commander stood up several times and shot twice at the North Korean shooter. He aimed a neat shot at his chest. The first shooter fell backwards. Then, turn his attention to Chin. "Let me see your arm."

"I'm fine boss. It's just a scratch." Chin convinced him.

Steve clicked on his own radio. "This is Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett of Five-0. We are in Wymondley Road Primary School and need backup immediately."

 _"This is New Zealand Police task force responding. Over. We will be sending two squad teams now."_

"Help is on the way." Steve took his arm and inspect briefly. "That's a nasty gash on your arm, Chin. Your wound needs to be stitched and I don't need to tell you if that wound doesn't get check, you will get a wound infection. You know what I mean." He said strictly.

"I will. Don't worry." Chin nodded. "I'll be fine, boss." He used his uninjured hand and clapped him on his shoulder. The two of them took turns to take out the North Korean shooters. They kept shooting. Car window glasses on the side door shattered to the ground.

Two shots went off with a loud bang. The two shooters fell to the ground. The third race towards them only to cause Steve to fire a shot at his head to make him keel backwards. The SEAL got closer to the third. He disarmed the North Korean shooter, kicking his weapon away and dislocating his arms before sending him to the ground. Finally bounding the last Korean gunman to the ground with black steel rope. Chin went off to the red truck that stopped near the school gates.

"You move and I'll put a bullet on your leg. Then, you'll be screaming your head off like a primary school girl." Steve warned him. He pointed his gun close to his leg. "Where's Agent Callen and Raymond Lu?"

 _"I don't know who you are talking about."_ The North Korean replied in his Korean own language.

 _"You think I don't know your language?"_ Steve snapped coldly.

Chin hurried to the red truck and pulled the back door open. There, in the red truck was Agent Callen. The sleeping effect on the leader had finally worn off. His hands were bound. So were his legs. Agent Callen had a slight head injury. A small thin scar on his bold head. Then, next to him was the man Chin believed to be a surfer tutor in Hawaii. Agent Ki Soo was bound with the NCIS leader and their arms locked together. Chin took a closer stepped and noticed the two agents are both wearing a bomb vest around their chest. It seemed that Steve didn't need to continue his interrogation on the North Korean shooter.

"Lieutenant Kelly. It's good to see you again." Callen acknowledged him in a weak voice.

"Likewise, Agent Callen." Chin looked relieved to see him. "I'm calling in a bomb squad."

"The bomb vest can be safely remove because he had been kicking my head for God knows how long. There's no motion sensors." Callen gestured at Ki Soo. "I take it I don't need to introduce you to him since he's your guy."

"No. We already know he's a North Korean agent." Chin agreed and he felt sympathetic for the leader. He crouched down to their height to study the bomb vest and its wires.

"How did you find us?" Callen looked impressed.

"Nell and Eric." Chin explained. "Unfortunately, they're force to bail on the op. So, you won't be able to hear from them for some time. They told us the hackers got into your server and stole sensitive information such as the agents' file."

Callen and Ki Soo shared a look at each other. The leader felt his heart clenched to a tight squeeze. His heart racing wildly. The thought of Nell and Eric out alone with his boss made him feel uneasy and defenceless. He made a promise to Nell she wasn't going to get hurt and made a promised to himself that no other agent after Dominic Vail will get hurt anymore. The leader could only pray they are safely out of his house.

"That means we're officially compromised." Callen stated.

 **[NCIS Los Angeles]**

The lieutenant carefully lifted the bomb vests over their heads. He passed it onto the bomb squad. The bomb squad officer stowed the two vests into the box. Then, walked away. Chin helped Callen climbed out of the red truck. The NCIS agent sprawled on the ground and massaged his own chest for a while. His heart beat racing wildly.

Chin noticed a large amount of blood smudged against his shoulder. He realised it wasn't his and noticed it was the North Korean. Ki Soo shook his hand and clapped it on his shoulder. "I'm fine, lieutenant. This is not exactly how I want to meet you, not like this. I'm sorry."

"You stumbled one hell of a case, Ray." Chin looked genuinely concerned. He gazed at his bleeding shoulder.

"So did you. I don't even know how the hell Agent Kendricks managed to get you and your team involved with the North Korean business. Your team was never meant to be involved in the first place!" Ki Soo argued back heatedly, clearly nettled. His voice had risen to a shout causing Steve to look up and Agent Callen included.

"You know it's not your fault." Chin sighed.

"No, lieutenant. I'm the reason your cousin got shot. Hell, I really like to know how Agent Kendricks got his hands on that file because when I meet him, I'm going to kill him for putting a bullet to Detective Kalakaua." Ki Soo vowed spitefully about it.

"I'm glad we're on the same page, bro." Chin looked pleased. "But, I'll take it down a notch because McGarrett is not at all happy. How many agents are we talking about snooping around on the main island? Steve thinks he will wake up in the middle of the night with an agent hiding under his bed. You kept well under the radar for five years."

Ki Soo chuckled. Then, the thought of his question reminded him of his colleague, Sun-Hwa Kim and his eyes widened worriedly. "What's the time lieutenant?"

"Ten thirty." Chin prompted.

Ki Soo's eyes widened in shocked. "I'm sorry?"

"Ten thirty." Chin repeated.

Ki Soo cursed under his breathe. Then hurried to Agent Callen. He patted the NCIS agent on his back. "Agent Callen. We got to go." Ki Soo urged him. He pulled him up from the ground. Then turn back to the Five-0s. "I'm sorry, lieutenant, and as much as I loved to stay back and answer everything, we really have to go. We need a new car and new phones."

Chin threw his car keys to him. "We'll take a ride back with the New Zealand police. My boss will want answers. We only ask for fifteen minutes to bring us up to speed."

Ki Soo caught it in his hand. He sighed. His mind racing. Then, turn his back and walked towards the car making the lieutenant feel very uneasy. Chin was determined to get some answers and at least one answer so he can figure the rest of the puzzle later.

 _"Agent Kim Ki Soo_!" He called out sternly. It was the first-time Chin raised his voice. Ki Soo knows him even though he knew him by a different name. He was always the calm person and always think strategically where as his boss think more rationally and aggressively.

Ki Soo froze on the spot. His full name being called worked. Nobody addressed him by his full name in years other than his commanding officer. He felt his full name was like a ghost in the past being woken up from the dark. His hand at the car door and had it opened.

"You owe us at least one answer." Chin told him firmly. "That is the least you can do for us."

Ki Soo shared a look with Callen. The leader nodded at him for permission. Callen waited by the car. "They deserved to know after almost getting blown and toasted at your apartment. I know I said I didn't want them to be involved. Right now, we don't have a choice. Get yourself patch up before we go to Sun-Hwa. I don't need you passing out on me."

Ki Soo slammed the door back shut. Then scoffed. "All right, sunshine. I don't need to patched up. Sorry about your head. You were snoring like a princess the whole time inside that red truck, sleeping like a baby. That's why I kicked you. You got a small scar on your head from my kick. In fact, you should get patch up, not me."

"Buddy, I don't sleep." Callen grinned at him. Ki Soo was starting to get on his nerves, especially his smart ass come back comments. "How about I give you a pair of handcuffs and dragged your ass over to the paramedics." Callen warned him. He looked annoyed and raised his eyebrows. "Give them fifteen minutes. If they didn't find us, we wouldn't be here. They saved our lives." He told him fairly.

Ki Soo raised his hands. He shook his head. The man looked like he had just surrendered. Then, walked towards the lieutenant and looked seriously at him. Chin leaded him to the paramedics who started working on the bullet that pierced on his shoulder.

"Sun-Hwa Kim." Ki Soo looked anxious. "She's a very good friend of mine, lieutenant. We'd served together. I was sent to New Zealand by my superior. He wants me to warned her she's on the elimination list. The three of us are branded as traitors to the North Koreans only because we defied our orders. Find Agent Kendricks, lieutenant and I'll break him for answers. I need to know how he got involved with the North Koreans and find the hackers. I'll be the last face he will sorely remember."

 **[NCIS Los Angeles]**


	10. Chapter 10 A Ghost from the Past

**Ghost from The Past**

 **Chapter ten**

 **[NCIS Los Angeles]**

Ki Soo was most concerned for the commander bringing back a North Korean suspect to the New Zealand police station. He looked thoughtfully at their only surviving evidence and then walked to Steve McGarrett. Callen looked annoyed.

"Agent Kim, I thought we were in a hurry." Callen called after him.

"I just need one minute to crack at him. He might know where Agent Kendricks and the two hackers." Ki Soo assured him.

"I'll give you fifteen minutes. Don't kill him. We need him alive." Callen smirked at him.

"I _**don't**_ have to kill him because he's the perfect bait. Remember you'd asked me what happened in Washington DC? His men rigged explosives on the car five years ago. The three of us were supposed to be dead that day. It wasn't just a shootout incident. All I need to do is tell him when I do find Agent Kendricks, I'll tell him he'd cooperated and then, he's going to want protection knowing he just failed his mission. He won't get eaten by the big sharks." Ki Soo replied reasonably.

Callen chuckled. He looked impressed and briefly thanked Steve and Chin before going back to his new rental car. Then leaned against it and folded his arms across his chest. The leader will enjoy watching his skillset from the distance. The NCIS agent realised he was going to create a scene with the Five-0 leader. A look of amusement plastered across his face. After all, the Navy SEAL and the North Korean agent understood Korean.

 **[NCIS Los Angeles]**

Ki Soo massaged his bandaged shoulder with his hand. The bandage on his injured shoulder began to itched him. He watched the commander thoughtfully. The Five-0 leader had put the North Korean shooter back to the car. The black mask on his face was now off. The agent squinted and frowned. There was something familiar about the hired hitman.

His thoughts were distracted by the Navy SEAL. The Korean man looked up and gave a long laughed. He felt a swell of pity for the Five-0 task force having to finally learned about his identity and even felt guilty for hiding it so long. Steve smirked at him and raised his eyebrows.

"Should we officially call you Agent Ki Soo Kim or Raymond Lu?" Steve asked seriously with his arms folded across his chest. He spoke in Korean.

"I prefer if you call me Kim Ki Soo than Ki Soo Kim. It sounds weird to me and as for being the name Raymond Lu hurts me ten times more. I got to say that was a poor choice of English name. The agency chose it, not me." Ki Soo complained. He spoke back in English. "Hey, for Chin's sake, I know English. You don't have to speak Korean with me. My English is fairly fluent, except for our dud friend there."

He nodded at the passenger in the car. "You got some history with that guy?" Steve looked from the NK agent then back at their suspect.

"Damned right I do." Ki Soo agreed, sounding cheesed off.

"We'll worry about him later. Right now, is about you." Chin raised his eyebrow at him.

"It's been awhile since my full and real name was called out. Nobody called me by my real name for years." Ki Soo said fairly.

"I'm sorry." Chin apologised sincerely.

"What do you have to apologised for? If anyone who should be apologising is me!" Ki Soo said dramatically. "I don't enjoy so much about having to live a lie every day. I kept telling the agency it was pointless to hide us."

"Yeah. Your agency still bought you enough time to lived, smart ass. So, let's hear it. What was so important that got you to be on the elimination list to make you go into hiding for five years?"

"All right, commander. I will tell you what I told your boy over here. I was on the elimination list as a North Korean agent because I defied my orders. You _**do not**_ want to know what my orders. Trust me." Ki Soo repeated for the hundredth time.

"Try me." Steve challenged him. "I'm trying to understand why they come for you now. They got plenty of chances to finished you off back then."

"Yeah, damned right they'd tried to finished me off years back then. It's not fun being a fugitive. All right. My order was to gather solid Intel information on nuclear technology included to deliver the assassination of our top leader lieutenant. My supervisor suspected his superior was involved in a coup with Athena and IRIS. (The first and second terrorist organisation.) I was ordered to kill him because he was going to create a third war and shake the political nation alliance between the North and South for not sharing the technology." Ki Soo explained disheartened.

Steve stared at him disbelievingly. He went all silence, determined to digest what the agent had just told him. It was his turn to laughed because what he just said was hard for him to believed. Ki Soo didn't look like a person to be chosen to kill someone and to the commander, he thought he was another kid and he looks like one too.

"Wow, just wow. This just keeps getting better and better, huh. You got to be kidding me. Which agency do you work for?" Steve wondered.

"I kid you not, sun-bae. I worked with the NTS agency (National Anti-Terrorism Security) in South Korea and became a citizen there. I'm sorry you and your team almost got pan-fried back at my apartment." Ki Soo told him grimly.

"Forget that! We know how to look after ourselves. Right now, I'm worried for you. Besides, you're one of us and I don't care about your name. If you want them to be off your back. You need to work with us." Steve announced seriously.

Ki Soo stared at him. "You're recruiting me to Five-0."

"Yes, I am. We're your best shot at getting you out of this." Steve persisted.

"Think about what you are asking me. Besides, I'm retired." Ki Soo argued back.

"Well, since you're in NCIS protective custody. You're not officially retired or five years back." Chin pointed out.

"Hey! You don't know who you're dealing with and you _**cannot**_ go after the third organisation. I don't need you to be looking over your shoulder." Ki Soo warned them intensively.

"Agent Kendricks shot Kono. You think he won't try again? If he's in business with the North Koreans which is today's proof, then there's no doubt he will send another hit squad to my team. We need to be ready, not to be send as a body bag." Steve responded equally. "He tried to kill you and Agent Callen."

Ki Soo stared at the commander without blinking. "Commander, I'm the last person to be seen wearing a badge. I'm a killer on the loose!" He yelled.

"You were ordered to kill a high-ranking officer which makes them the official killer, you understand?" Steve corrected him modestly.

Ki Soo shook his head and looked distraught. "It's not the same, commander."

"Ki Soo," Steve frowned, understanding why he was beat up. "We're cops. We know. We know what is like having to pull a trigger. You work with Agent Callen and NCIS. Then we don't have to talk about this ever again."

Ki Soo groaned. He pinched his nose with his own fingers.

"Ki Soo." Chin gave him a sympathetic look. "I was in your position years ago. I was an accused cop, unable to wear a badge for a long time. Boss wants to get you off the elimination list as much as you do. He doesn't care what you done. It's the action that you do counts."

"You two are being suicidal. You know that?" Ki Soo said weakly.

Steve chuckled at him. "Hey! The only person who's being suicidal is you." Steve said daringly. "You're not out of retirement until our job is done."

"Sounds fantastic. Fine. I will be recruited. Consider me gone after the job is done." Ki Soo finally caved in to their demanded request. He shook his head and wondered what he had just signed up.

"That's why Agent Callen came for you in the first place? NCIS protective custody. That's why he's involved. National security." Steve guessed.

Ki Soo shook his head.

"Bigger than that, commander. One of their own was murdered. I know her for a long time. Agent Grace Stevens was a mentor to me and she was killed because she discovered a third organisation much worse than the Athena's and IRIS." Ki Soo explained.

Steve's eyes widen in shocked. He felt stunned. "All right. Let's get this fact straight. So, until now they chase you across the world and you are the most wanted fugitive for murder in South Korea? Okay. I get why you don't want us involved. You know you don't have a choice. I'm still trying to understand why now. How did you manage to be hidden for five years?"

"Washington DC. 2008." Ki Soo scoffed. He sounded bitter about it.

"What's that?" Steve demanded. He felt his stomach churned.

"The three of us was allocated and escorted to our designated countries. We were supposed to be dead five years ago. Two cars were rigged with explosives followed with a shootout incident in the airport." Ki Soo explained.

"The agency fake your own deaths." Steve surmised. "Then there must be a leaked."

"The leak is old news." Ki Soo replied dismissively. "We always said the North Korean Security will always come after us. The guy you just put in the car, he's a North Korean Security."

"You sure you don't recognise him five years ago?" Steve asked thoughtfully. He pulled out the photo and passed it to him. "New Zealand police department picked him up to matched the missing employee to tie him for murder."

Ki Soo studied the photo and smiled about it. "We met briefly. Agent Tseo put him in the hospital after trying to kill us in the car accident at the airport. He's my leader and the best NK agent out of the three of us."

"Which country was this Agent Tseo allocated?" Steve wants to find him. "I take it he's the third agent beside you and Sun-Hwa." He stated.

"That's what I'm trying to figure out! Sun-Hwa and I woke up in two hospitals that day. She called me and wanted to see me to make sure I was okay. I told her to lay low because I wasn't sure how long they're there in the country to finish the job." Ki Soo advised him. "We went our separate ways after that. My CO sent me to warn her she's in danger. He picked up a chatter and warned me it's not just Sun-Hwa on the elimination list. So am I. That's why I'm in New Zealand."

"Let us go with you." Steve offered.

"You don't know, my sister. She trusts _no one_. This is my problem. You done enough for today, Hyungnim." Ki Soo insisted. "Please."

Steve shared a look with his colleague. He stretched out a hand to him. "Okay. Do me a favour and don't get yourself killed. Please. Be careful. We might not be there for the second time to save you."

"Thank you, Sun-bae." Ki Soo returned his handshake. "I'm sorry you have to find out like this."

"You don't have to apologise. You live in Hawaii for five years and should know I was once a fugitive once on the island. Do what you need to do and come home soon, Kim Ki Soo." Steve ordered firmly.

Ki Soo nodded in response. He paused on the way back to Agent Callen and turned back to Steve. He looked thoughtfully. "Oh, about our dud friend back in our car. Let him go, _boss_. Put a tracker on him and see where he leads you. He's too scared to get swallowed by the big shark. Trust me. He'll want protection. They probably demoted him for doing a poor job five years ago."

Steve and Chin stared at each other for awhile. Then, laughed lightly. "Did he just –" Chin started.

"Yeah. He did." Steve agreed stared at Ki Soo intently. "He's been hanging around with us way too long."

"That's your fault boss. Your influence even got on him." Chin teased lightly. He looked amused.

"Hey, I'm still here, you knob heads!" Ki Soo scolded, not appreciating being ignored by the two cops.

" _Arasso. Arasso._ ( _Okay. Okay.)_ " Steve said in Korean. He grinned broadly. He clapped a hand on his back. "Let's start at the four warehouses. There's a strong chance Agent Kendricks could still be there and the hackers." He told Chin.

"What about Agent Tseo?" Chin called after him.

"I won't worry about the punk ass. You don't have to find him. If he finds me, he'll eventually find the rest of your team. Trust me. The guy knows how to look after himself." Ki Soo responded over his shoulder confidently.

 **[NCIS Los Angeles]**

Her eyes were wide open. It was well into the night. The lights were out in their room and her daughter was well asleep. The former female agent glanced at the clock. It was quarter to nine. Fifteen minutes was enough time for her to meet the two agents at the school as discussed. The two agents who'd delivered their warnings about her and her whole family being in danger.

She shifted in her bed, careful not to disturbed her innocent sleeping husband who'd knew nothing about her past at all. Her husband shifted. His eyes closed, sleeping soundlessly. Sun-Hwa shifted in her bed the same time he did and slowly, successfully she climbed out of bed. The woman stood up. Once more, the beautiful agent glanced at her husband. Quietly, she picked up her light jacket, proceeded out to the door and placed her hand on the door knob.

Then, turned the door knob as silently as possible. The wife proceeded down the staircase. Her feet against the polished floor, careful not to make a creaking sound against the floor. She walked towards the kitchen table and was about to retrieve her car keys when she thought she heard a footstep in the kitchen. Slowly, she moved towards the kitchen fridge. She switched the light on. Then, proceeded to the kitchen fridge and on the kitchen fridge. She looked at the kitchen fridge's mirror only to discover a man in black masked with his gun pointed behind her back.

One swift movement, Sun-Hwa Kim pushed his wrist forward, causing his aim to go astray. Still, the shooter managed to gripped on his weapon firmly with his hand. His shot had ended up cracking her glass window and the glass shattered. The Korean mother swung her right leg upwards, her heel ended up hitting against his jaw before punching his arms with her palm and kneeing him in the stomach twice.

The shooter fought back. He kicked her in the stomach and punched her in the face with his hand causing her to double back. Sun-Hwa hold onto her kitchen bench and saw just in time her assassin aim again. The tall graceful woman swung the kitchen fridge's door right on time just as he made his shot for the second time, twice. Thankfully, his shot missed her by several inches. She saw a frying pan on the stove and seized its handle firmly. She whacked him on the leg, causing him to kneel one feet to the ground.

She twisted his whole arm upwards and punched his weapon to the ground. Then locked her arms around his neck, suffocating him on the spot. Her attacker made a fruitless attempt to fight back. Sun-Hwa tightened a gripped around his neck, punched him several times in the stomach with her fist before twisting his neck with a loud snap. The stranger in her house now went limped in her grasped.

Sun-Hwa panted heavily, trying to digest what had just happened and allowed her so-called attacker to fall lifelessly on the ground. She looked up to find her now awake husband standing opposite her. Her eyes widened in shocked. Then, saw a second shooter now stood behind her husband. The former Korean female agent saw her kitchen knife near on the fruit platter. She seized her kitchen knife off the bench and threw it at the second shooter.

The second shooter fell to the ground instantly and his weapon dropped to his side. The husband hung his mouth opened. Questions filled his eyes. Sun-Hwa understood and knew her husband was wondering if she had gone mad and how she suddenly became a super woman overnight. His eyes swivelled from her to the now dead mask man, completely speechless. Sun-Hwa moved her long hair away from her face.

"Take Saemi with you."

Her husband stood frozen on the spot. Like his wife, he too, was trying to understand what had just happened. It wasn't until his wife raised her voice at him hopeful he will get back to reality.

" _Now_!" Sun-Hwa demanded.

The husband jumped before scurrying up the stairs. A third shooter came from the backyard. The third shooter is exactly like her last two: all dressed in black attire from head to toe. Her third attacker made a shot for her. Sun-Hwa ducked just on time. Her mask man used his gun and cracked the glass window from the backyard. Sun-Hwa saw the chair beside her. She seized it, gave a loud yell and use the chair to pushed her attacker off with all her strength.

The unknown shooter fell slightly. He caught onto her family's backyard table with his hand and use it as his own support. She saw her wok at the corner of her left where she usually cooks a stir fry meal for her family. The house-wife seized the equipment, used it as a weapon, made a whack on the unknown stranger. She whacked at him several times. Her opponent ducked her attack and managed to seized her by the arm.

The two ferociously seized each other arm. Sun-Hwa used all her strength to pushed him straight into the house and the mask man was determined to pushed her forwards to go back to the backyard. They looked as though they were merely waltzing in the house, each swinging each other's arms. The retired agent locked her hands with his, determined to steer his weapon away from her. She felt him aiming for her chest and knew right at this moment the two agents she met at her daughter's school spoke the truth.

She used her arms and pushed it upwards towards his jaw. Her pushed at his jaw caused him to fall slightly and his weapon fell back into the house. One hand on his arm and the other on his back. One tight squeezed made her swung her stranger around, causing him to smacked right into a second layer of glass window throwing him straight back inside to the house, causing the glass to shatter onto the ground.

She ran back to the kitchen where the attack all started. The Korean woman swung her leg straight to her attacker's stomach, causing him to fall backwards against the fridge. The shooter composed himself. His gun lay on ground and was all forgotten. It wasn't until they both saw the gun lying on the floor. The man sat straight up. His eyes widened and just as he was about to made a grabbed for it, Sun-Hwa beat him to it first, she punched him once against his jaw. One to his left and one to his right. Then, kicking him straight to the groin.

The stranger in the mask grunted in pain. His eyes watered. It was enough time for the well-trained female agent to seized his weapon and without hesitation, shot him more than once. The first shot didn't make him stay down completely. One full second made Sun-Hwa realised her shooter was wearing a vest because the Korean assassin sat straight up. She aims for his neck and shot not just once on the right, but, also to the left before sending the last shot straight to his forehead.

Sun-Hwa gripped on her new weapon tightly in her hand. She approached the dead mask man and crouched down with one knee. Her hand slipped under his shirt and felt another layer of clothing. A hard clothing. Perplexed, she pocketed her new weapon behind her blue jeans and ripped open his t-shirt. She gave a small gasped. Her eyes watered with tears as her heart pulsated with sheer anxiety coursing through her veins. He was wearing a vest. Her instinct proved her right.

The Korean woman turn him over and took his vest and strapped it on herself. Then, she turned her attention to his mysterious face and decided to investigate on him briefly. Her hand shook and moved it towards his mask. Unwillingly, she pulled the black mask off him and discovered the man was a North Korean. Her mind was filled with questions rather than the answers she was looking for, and then a sickening feeling rose in her stomach, causing it to churned horribly. It was then she realised her husband hadn't come back down to meet her and run away.

Perhaps to run and see to Agent Callen and her colleague, Ki Soo Kim…

Panic was now successfully gripping her very heart. She quickly stood up, dashed back upstairs. At the very stairs, a shooter had just walked out of her daughter's room. Anger flared inside her heart. The fourth shooter saw her and raised his gun at her. Sun-Hwa was too quick for him and pulled him by his arms with her hand. She twisted his whole arm, dislocated it with a sickening crack in his bone before pushing him straight down to the stairs. Her fourth shooter went down.

Sun-Hwa pulled out her new weapon from behind her pocket and shot him on the neck. The door behind her burst open. She whipped her head around only to discover a fifth shooter came straight out of hers and her husband's bedroom. Her new shooter pointed his gun at her. She made for the stairs and he started firing at her. The Korean wife was thankful she had made the right choice by strapping the vest on earlier. All shots hit her vest. The Korean shooter shot until there was no more bullets.

The Korean mother race down the stair case. Her shooter threw his gun away and seized the knife. He charged towards her, first stabbing her on her shoulder and her arms. Sun-Hwa cried out in pain. She clutched tightly on her gun and used the back of her gun to hit him on his back and his head. Then, she felt the blade from her attacker cut her leg. A sharp stinging pain flared on her leg. She used her non-injured leg and kicked him backwards.

Her gunman went sideways. She kicked him for a second time. The hired man fell forward. Then, the woman agent whirled her gun and send a neat shot to his neck. She fired five times to ensure he stayed down. She watched him rolled all the way to the bottom of the stairs. Then, hurried back down to check for his pulse. She panted heavily, out of breath and then race back up again.

She was aching all over. Her whole body was screaming with sheer agony. All she cared right now was going back to her family: her husband and daughter. Blood leaked out from her injured leg. Her clothes are now fully stain in her own blood. Her polished floor brushed with her own pool of blood. A sudden wave of dizziness swarmed her mind. She stopped at the top of the stairs and flatten her hands on the wall.

The graceful woman closed her eyes for a while only to achieve a wave of nauseas filled her stomach. The pain from her injuries was getting the better of her. Once the dizziness and nauseas went away briefly, the female Asian agent presumed her task and made her way to her daughter's room. The North Korean woman was shaking from head to toe. There, at her daughter's room, on her daughter's bed lay her husband and daughter.

Sun-Hwa felt as though a new nightmare had opened for her. Her husband and daughter was covered in blood. So was the bedsheet. Broken family photo on the ground and a silencer gun on the floor. She felt her own stomach twisted into knots. She felt her own lungs clog up. The gun in her hand dropped to the floor and clattered loudly. She clapped a hand over her trembling mouth and her eyes watered with tears.

Her vision blurred. Her mind racing wildly. So was her heart. She gave a stabbed of mingle scream. A scream that sounded like a wailing ghost. A scream that sounded like a banshee. A scream that pierced the night. She fell to her knees and screamed on top of her lungs. She screamed once, a second time and let out a howling wail that echoed through her house.

She wrapped her own arms around herself. It was all a bad dream. This wasn't real. It was all just a bad dream. The two sentences kept repeating itself over and over until it becomes her mantra. She wept endlessly. Her tears rain down her cheek. She couldn't stop. Her gaze fixed on her family, unable to comprehend what was in front of her. She cried until her throat became dry. Her face streaked with tears.

The thought of seeing the two strangers at her daughter's school was well forgotten. She just sat there on the floor, grieving and the grief weighed heavily on her heart. A strong surge of revenge boiled in her stomach. A strong hatred rose to her chest. Now, she wants answers. Now, with her family gone, she wasn't sure what to think because those she had cared for was gone before her. It was always her who'd survived against her enemies and it was always her who'd lost everything.

 **[NCIS Los Angeles]**


	11. Chapter 11 Price of Freedom

**Price of Freedom**

 **Chapter 11**

 **[NCIS Los Angeles]**

Agent Callen pulled up by the curb side. Ki Soo put on his new earpiece, passed the new smartphones and new weapon to the leader. "A gift from our mutual friend… and receipt as requested for your boss." He pulled out the receipt from his pocket.

Callen chuckled. The thought of the receipt made him thought of his boss. "I take it the conversation went well with the Five-0 boys."

Ki Soo scoffed. Then, completely vented his complaint to Callen. "Yeah right, went well my ass. Now they are officially involved on this case. You want to know what else McGarrett is going to do after getting his hands-on Agent Kendricks? The hot head is going to go after the third terrorist organization. He doesn't know who he's dealing with and I'm talking about them dealing with the North Koreans!" He said heatedly.

Callen understood why he was frustrated. "Ki Soo. He's only going after them because one of his own was shot. I would have done the same if one of my own get shot. Besides, I'm thinking the shooter might not be Agent Kendricks at all. But, somebody closer to the third terrorist organization."

"That was the nut job's argument too." Ki Soo remarked scornfully. "Right now, I'm officially not under NCIS protective custody. McGarrett just recruited me to Five-0. I know I'm grounded in Hawaii. I feel obliged to go back. I must go back. Don't try to stop me. I know a tail when I see one. Hell, I can even smell a tail a mile away."

"He what?" Callen narrowed his eyes at him. He wondered whether his ears had gone deaf.

"Hyungnim. This is my problem. I caused enough exposure in Hawaii and I know how to take care of myself. I was trained under one of the best agent. Why not leave my NCIS protective custody for my sister?" Ki Soo suggested calmly. "McGarrett just saved our sorry asses. If it weren't for him and Lieutenant Kelly, who knows where we will end up. I owe it to them. So do you. I know we didn't asked for backup. We were lucky to have backup considering your team is in Korea. We're lucky we can get to Sun-Hwa in time. It could have been much worse."

Callen studied him for a while. "You want to keep an eye on them."

Ki Soo nodded in agreement. "You haven't fully seen how they work on the main island. I understand them. The way they exercise their immunity grant from the government is on high insanity. The Navy SEAL is a total nut job. He shoots first before asking questions later! Trust me on this. If they say I need protection, so do they! They're detectives, not agents! You said it yourself a few hours back they need to go under NCIS protective custody anyway! Besides, we still got Agent Kendricks to worry about and McGarrett just became convinced he might send a hit squad and try again." He reminded the leader.

Callen slowly clenched his hand to a fist and lightly punched the steering wheel in the centre. Ki Soo placed a consoling hand on his shoulder. "Sun-bae. I survived for five years. I'll be fine. You just look after Sun-Hwa for me. Who does a better job other than NCIS?" Ki Soo comforted him and smooth his back with his hand.

"Fine. If I don't hear from you through our back channel, I will go to Hawaii myself and do a thorough check on you. I'll drag Sam along and earn a quiet vacation. Maybe I will take my vacation to learn Korean." Callen vowed seriously.

Ki Soo laughed lightly. He smirked. "If your boss approves your visit. I'll give you a minute to settle and search the perimeter."

The Korean citizen climbed out of the vehicle and gave time for Agent Callen to equipped himself. The NK male rookie pulled out his weapon off his holster and set off in the dark. He scoured around the perimeter only to find a black SUV which parked two houses from his long-time colleague's house. The analysis agent took out a torchlight off his pocket.

He flashed the small beam of light in the vehicle. A thick yellow envelope caught his attention. The junior agent had a memory flashed of himself and Agent Callen inside the lobby. He remembered the yellow envelope was given to him. Agent Ki Soo put the torch back into his pocket. Then, used the back of his gun and break the glass window. The glass shattered. His hand found the door knob. He opened it, put his weapon back to his holster and climbed into the front seat. Photos were strewn all over the backseat. His heart skipped a beat at the sight of Sun-Hwa Kim in the photo. Those photos were the surveillance record his commanding officer had picked out for him. His CO had hacked into the North Korean's server just to track their progress on his elite agents.

The Korean intelligent agent cursed under his breathe. He put the yellow envelope back into his jacket and opened the front seat compartment. His eyes narrowed darkly at the sight of the NCIS badge. Quickly, he grabbed it and pocketed it. His mind was spinning with more questions than answer. One, he was certain their cover was blown. Two, finding their evidence confirmed the terrorist know how they are getting Sun-Hwa out of New Zealand and third, it wasn't just Agent Callen's badge he discovered in the front of the compartment.

A flash of light distracted his thoughts. Ki Soo quickly pulled his gun out of his holster only to find Agent Callen was now standing behind him. "Are you crazy, Hyungnim? You could have said a hello! You're asking to be shot at! The hell is the matter with you? Talk about being suicidal with McGarrett. So are you!" Ki Soo shouted on top of his lungs dramatically.

Callen gave him an apologetic looked. "Thank you for not shooting me, buddy. You, my friend can start teaching me a few terms of your Korean language because I understand zero zilch. I'm guessing you just found another pack of North Koreans Security details?"

Ki Soo chuckled and smiled about it. He pulled out the yellow envelope and passed it to Callen. "You can say that." He confirmed.

Callen passed his torchlight. He frowned and accepted the yellow envelope. "I guess Agent Kendricks must had passed it to his assassins."

The leader looked troubled.

"How are we going to get Sun-Hwa out of the country? There's a high chance they could be waiting at New Zealand International Airport." Ki Soo put his hands on his hips.

"We don't let them leave the country and put them down." Callen told Ki Soo firmly. "We fight our way out and get a plane for Los Angeles. Kill them all. Kill those who stand in our way. And Ki Soo?"

"Sun-bae?" Ki Soo responded in a respective manner.

"We're getting out of this hell hole alive, Ki Soo. You have my word." Callen promised him.

 **[NCIS Los Angeles]**

The two agents went jogged over to the house. Hands firmly gripped around their guns. In front of them, at the porch, the leader and the temporary field agent paused. They scanned the area. Pieces of glass spread all over the floor. Ki Soo stepped inside the living room to find a dead North Korean shooter at the kitchen. He swerves his gun from the left to right. His gun pointed at the ceiling.

"Sun-Hwa!" Ki Soo called over his shoulder.

Several chairs were upside down. A trail of blood brushed against the polished floor. A large wok on the ground in the backyard. The dining table also upside down. Walls decorated with bullets. Frying pan and a large cutlery knife were also on the floor. It was a clear indication to Callen that the retired female agent handled herself well. The NCIS agent searched through each room only to find more masked men spread on the first floor. One at the kitchen. The family backyard. There were even guns on the floor.

Agent Callen lowered his gun. He paused at the gunman lying in the corner of the backyard lifelessly. Curiously, the field leader agent crouched down to his height and pulled off his mask. His heart skipped a beat. Their findings confirmed it was the North Korean hitmen who went after three former elite agents. He pulled out his new smartphone and snapped a photo of his face. The Russian man looked up and was distracted at the junior foreign agent still calling his colleague across the house.

"Kim Sun-Hwa!" Ki Soo hurried up the stairs. He noticed one dead shooter in the middle of the staircase. On the top of the stairs, one was near a child's bedroom. The retired Korean agent slowly moved towards the bedroom. He felt a sickening feeling burned at the pit of his stomach. He felt he had forgotten to breathe.

Cautiously, the North Korean man pulled the door knob opened. The room he had just entered was a kid's room. Instantly, his mind jammed in shocked and felt his throat was all clogged up. Now, Ki Soo knows what her new life is and the new life in front of his eyes was ripped away. His eyes trailed on the floor. A silencer gun followed with a family photo. There on kid's bed was an innocent Korean citizen he surmised to be Sun-Hwa's husband. His mouth hung opened.

His eyes lingered on the toddler who could have looked as though she was sleeping. The toddler and the innocent father were covered in blood. Ki Soo closed his eyes briefly. He felt a surge of mix emotions coursing through his veins. He turned his back on them, clenched his hand to a fist and hit against the wall several times before cursing under his breathe. Silently, he made a promised to find the person responsible for murdering them. The intelligent agent leaned against the wall with his head rested on his arm.

Callen, still on the first floor, examined the North Korean hit squad. He scanned through all the men and noticed they were all shot on the neck, not on the chest per usual. The killing indicated to him that Sun-Hwa Kim was a strong fighter and handled very well in terms of hand to hand combat skills. Curiosity had gotten the better of him. The American agent patted down the suspect in front of him only to discover their chest was bulky. He ripped opened the shirt to find a vest strapped across the chest. Suddenly, Callen felt a gun pointed at the back of his head.

On the kitchen fridge's mirror, Callen saw a very angry Korean woman standing right behind and right at this moment, he believed what Ki Soo, because, it was a clear indication to him that Sun-Hwa Kim does not only not trust him, but, will go well and beyond to kill him. The look in her eyes was filled with hatred and she looked venomously at him. Callen didn't dare move an inch. His eyes trailed to the kitchen fridge's mirror to find Ki Soo behind them.

Ki Soo raised his gun and pointed unwillingly at the person he considered family. Callen allowed himself to be pulled by the neck and was surprised at how much strength the Korean woman had. Ki Soo started to talk to his colleague in Korean, desperate for her not to pull the trigger on Agent Callen. He didn't even get the chance to speak up and receive a shot from her. Ki Soo was force to roll over, only to hide behind the couch in the living room. Her shot hit another window. The glass on that window shattered into pieces. Callen could feel Sun-Hwa shaking from head to toe.

He realised Sun-Hwa and Ki Soo had not lost their skills. So many years they had not been an agent, until now, their past caught up to them and finally, Callen understood why Sun-Hwa doesn't trust anyone, especially now. He realised why Hetty assigned him to protect Sun-Hwa, mainly because her personality and even her past matches his.

This realisation frightened him because he could see so much of himself in her. Her anger. The grief in her eyes fired with intense hatred and most of all, working alone, walking alone as a lone wolf for many years like him did and not with a team at all.

 **[NCIS Los Angeles]**

He knew she was frightened. He also hoped he doesn't pass out from her strangulation. Her gripped was so strong that Callen was in fact, choking and spluttering. Ki Soo slowly stood up and raise his gun in the air one more time. He walked carefully towards her and raised his voice to a shout. Callen could see the anger burned in his eye. He was irritated because he still couldn't understand the language. Now, he wished his regular partner, officially in Korea, is with him in New Zealand. He understood zero zilch of Korean words going in and out of his ear.

"Noona!" Ki Soo yelled on top of his lungs. "L _et him go! He's an American agent. You know we're better than this. You said it yourself you gave up that life years ago._ " He hollered fumingly.

" _So did you! It looked like you'd gone back_." Sun-Hwa retorted heatedly. She seethes her teeth and gripped on Agent Callen's neck firmly. Callen was surprised that he felt a wave of dizziness washed over him. He started coughing and spluttering.

" _Wrong! General Chul Young Park sent me to warn you_." Ki Soo corrected her firmly. His voice shook with remorse. " _Agent Grace Stevens is dead. That's why the American agent is involved. I know you know her. So do I. She's my mentor and the only one who didn't ignore me in NTS agency. The only one who gave me hope and gave me field experience. She's family too. I know how you're feeling because I'm feeling it too_."

Sun-Hwa took several steps back. " _And him_?" She glanced at Agent Callen briefly. Callen saw the mistrust look he'd received.

" _NCIS. His name is Agent Callen. Let him go. You want answers, cooperate with us, sun-bae. But, not like this_." Ki Soo shook his head seriously. " _I know what happened to you, noona. I promised you, we will find out the person responsible. The person who ruined your life. I will say it again: General Chul Young Park sent me to warn you._ "

Sun-Hwa gaped at him. Her mouth trembled. Shocked written on her face. Callen felt her shook vigorously. He felt her gripped slowly slackened. " _Do you trust him?_ "

Ki Soo knew she was referring to their commanding officer. " _Yes I do,_ _ **with – my – life**_ _. He hacked into the North Koreans network and found a surveillance package. Sun-bae, he lost his wife and his children to Ji Young Kwon. His superior found out our boss was smuggling your mother and sister out of the military boot camp and was determined to reunite you with them. If you're looking for anyone to blame, it's Ji Young Kwon. He is the man responsible for this and them. I want him as bad as you do because he's also responsible for Agent Steven's death. That's why Agent Callen is here, to investigate her death_."

Sun-Hwa stared at him intently. Her mouth twitch. " _Give me your gun. Call him. I want proof. One wrong move and I'll kill your friend_."

Ki Soo knew that tone in her voice. He gave her a hard long look. He stared at her disbelievingly and looked furious. He unloaded his ammo. He tossed it to the ground and slid his weapon to her. Sun-Hwa quickly grabbed his weapon and put it on the kitchen bench. She pointed her gun at Ki Soo. Callen looked worried for him only to receive a meaningful look. Slowly, the analysis agent pulled out his smart-phone.

The first ring reached the commanding officer. "Lieutenant General." There was a paused. " _I found her. She wants proof. No. Tell Agent Hanna his technicians needed to bail and we confirmed with our mutual ally we're compromised. We need that chatter you'd picked up. She's holding Agent Callen hostage. Understood. Thank you._ "

Agent Callen felt his heart skipped a beat at his partner's name. It sounded like his partner is now with Ki Soo and Sun-Hwa's commanding officer. The smartphone made a tune. Cautiously, Ki Soo pressed the voice recorder and put the phone on speaker.

" _Ki Soo. I need you to go to New Zealand_."

" _Why all of a sudden_?"

" _We located Kim Sun-Hwa_."

(There was a paused. Ki Soo sighed and sounded unwilling at the background on the recorder.)

" _Sun-Hwa… can we just leave her alone? I heard she's living a new life there. I think she's better of that way_." Ki Soo said fairly.

Sun-Hwa felt her eyes welled up with tears. A tear rolled down her cheek. A mixture of emotions swelled in her heart. Ki Soo was telling the truth.

" _I really would. However, I recently discovered the agency had also located her. If we don't find her first, she will be in danger. Under Little Leader Kim's direction, North Korea is in the process of taking out their former elite agents. It's not just Sun-Hwa. But, you are also in danger. Go there immediately and warn her. This is everything you and Sun-Hwa need to disappear."_

Ki Soo stopped the recorder on the phone. " _NCIS discovered we were intercepted by Ji Young Kwon and confirmed him on their database. Their technicians hacked into the North Koreans server. That's how Agent Callen found me and you at the school_."

Sun-Hwa sighed. At his words and the recorder, she'd just witnessed, the Korean woman suddenly released Agent Callen and she looked directly at her former teammate. " _I believed you, Ki Soo. I'm sorry._ "

Ki Soo shook his head. " _No. You have every right to be cautious. I would have done the same. Least you didn't kill him. Agent Callen is a good friend of mine."_

He turned to Agent Callen and finally spoke back in English. Sun-Hwa was surprised he will addressed him with the Korean honorific terms. "Sun-bae, give her the surveillance package."

Callen looked from Ki Soo, then, back to Sun-Hwa. He pulled the yellow envelope and passed it to the North Korean woman. When the field agent looked down, he noticed a small trail of thin blood on the wooden floor. It was then the leader noticed the thin blood was from Sun-Hwa. A swollen bloodied lip. Her arms grazed with a deep cut and noticed a patch of blood trickled down her leg. A look of concerned plastered on his face.

Even though she tried to kill him a while ago, Callen understood why she took him hostage earlier, it was because she wanted answers. Sun-Hwa followed his gaze.

She gave him a small smile. "I'm okay. It's just cut and bruises."

Callen returned a smile. "You have a first aid kit?"

Sun-Hwa looked shocked at his generous offer. She stood stock still. "I'm sorry, Agent Callen."

Callen sighed and gave her a understanding look. He sighed. "The least you can do is cooperate with NCIS and in the meantime, I'm putting you and your family under NCIS protective custody."

The next sentence that came out of her mouth stunned Agent Callen completely. "They're dead." Sun-Hwa whispered. She sniffed and tried to composed herself. Callen could hear the edge in her tone. He felt his heart was pierced with a long thread and saw her mouth trembled. Her voice dampened with a longing pain. "They're gone, Agent Callen and t - they are never coming back. I failed my husband. I failed my daughter. I – It's all my fault they're dead. It's all my fault." She chokes back a sobbed and allowed her tears to rain down freely on her cheek.

 **[NCIS Los Angeles]**


	12. Chapter 12 Hundreds of Scars

**Hundreds of Scars**

 **Chapter 12**

 **[NCIS Los Angeles]**

He guided her to the couch. His arms set firmly on her shoulders. Then crouched down to her height. His hands settled gently on her cheeks. Her face stained with tears. Callen brushed away her tears with his thumb. One hand in hers. The North Korean widowed had broken down twice and her sobbed had gone on and off.

"Sun-Hwa. What happened to you is not your fault and I understand what you are going through." Callen said softly.

Sun-Hwa looked up directly to him. "How could you possibly know what I am going through?" She asked harshly. Her eyes flared with anger. Her mind spiraling out of control. Callen could tell she even looked confused. He understood her because she was a female version of himself. Right at this moment, he saw so much in common that frightened the NCIS leader.

Sun-Hwa had reminded him greatly of himself. Their history. Their personality. How they loved to work alone and not in the team was one reason. But, their childhood was exactly as what his partner had told him back in Los Angeles: she was more complicated than he is and now Callen could see why sometimes Sam gets annoyed with him because Callen secretive.

So is Sun-Hwa; and to top it all, she was very good at disappearing just like he is. This made him realized she is a very dangerous decorated agent. She doesn't trust anyone so easily like he does and the fact she tried to strangle him earlier made him even more aware of her current state of mind. It was what scared him strongly. A beautiful dangerous woman. He had to work fast and earn her trust and fast or she will be an unstoppable assassin just as she was in her previous missions.

Callen looked her in the eye directly. His hands tightened on her shoulder. He thought he seen her lips twitched briefly. Sun-Hwa shook from head to toe. Tears foamed in her eyes. Her head bowed and gaze at the floor. She allowed her tears to foamed freely. Her tears poured down like a fountain of water. The NCIS leader carefully lifted her chin. She slowly places a hand on her lips. Callen slowly took her shaky hands and held it gently. He knew then she was guilty at how she had spoken to him.

Again, he dismissed her apology. He dismissed because he understood her. He dismissed her apology not only was she his assignment, because he felt obliged to protect her and the fact she felt she failed her family made him recall his own mistakes such as all the agents who fell before him.

"I had a family. I had a mother. A sister and a father. Like you, I lost the people I cared about. I was born in Russia and only had one letter that is my first name: G. I never know what the G stands for, why I was shot, why I was hunted." Callen ignored the look Ki Soo gave him.

Ki Soo had his mouth hung opened briefly. It only dawn to him this was his time he learned about his first name and strangely his first name was never heard until now. He felt he know him for years even though he knows him for hours and the fact to learn his temporary partner took five bullets because of his past made him feel somehow defensive. Sure, Callen is more than capable to look after himself, but the thought of their files being stolen made him feel very paranoid.

"I only learned about the Comescue family had a family blood feud with my family. The pain you are going through is the exact pain I had gone through. One scar from the past feels like a hundred scars through the heart. Right? It lives in you. I know what you are going through because I see a lot of myself in you. I didn't just loose the people I cared about. I felt I failed as a leader because I was meant to protect a junior agent. There are some things in life you can't control which doesn't make it necessarily your fault. Yes, I certainly understand what you are going through, Sun-Hwa. I understand your pain because I carry the same scar as you do."

"H – How did you move on?" Sun-Hwa whispered in a small voice.

"A reason to fight. Sun-Hwa. Don't push away the people who cared about you because if you don't trust them and they don't trust you, it will destroy you as it almost did to me." Callen advised her wisely. " _ **I**_ believed you have a reason to fight. I know you think with your family gone, that you have nothing else to fight or live."

"You're right." Sun-Hwa had a faraway look in her eye. "I don't have a reason to live. I was going to fight for my family to survive. Now, they were taken away from me so suddenly. What difference will it make even if I sink my own revenge? What will it change?"

He had a flash of Nell Jones telling him how she jumped in front of the car. A sinking surge of anxiety rushed through his heart at the thought of Sun-Hwa doing a similar rational act and the fact what the NK widowed agent told him made him feel more alarmed.

"Yes, you do have every reason to live and fight for," Callen repeated firmly. "Help me investigate the death of Agent Grace Stevens to finished what she had started. NCIS had every reason to believed she was killed because she discovered a third terrorist organization. A third terrorist organization we'd believed that are similar to IRIS and Athena."

Sun-Hwa closed her eyes. She bends down, gaze at the floor briefly and swallowed hard and comprehend what he had just said. The female former agent looked up at the feel of his touch. Callen had wiped her tears that leaked out of her corner.

"I – I will help you. I think I know how they got to her and why now. She gave me a USB flash drive last year and came to see how I was doing in New Zealand." Sun-Hwa looked up to find her colleague had given her a box of tissue. She took a handful and dabbed the tissues on her face. "She wasn't the only one who came to visit me."

"You mean somebody before us came to warned you're in danger?" Callen looked surprised. The palm of his hands was still on his cheek and his comfort to Sun-Hwa had helped. Although tonight's incident shook her greatly and being informed about her best friend's death melted her down.

"Yes." Sun-Hwa agreed conversationally.

"Who?" Callen looked questioningly at her.

"Agent Tseo and Director Choi." Sun-Hwa nodded. "We were investigating the third terrorist organisation and it was our main objective. We were discreet about it, afraid the wrong source of information will fall into the wrong hands. Director Choi trust Agent Stevens because she knew NCIS will not withstand about a leak within all agency. We always knew one traitor within the organisation will always follow those who knew them."

Callen and Ki Soo shared a look with each other. Shock written in their eyes. Ki Soo put his hands on the back of his neck. Then, paced around the living room. The Korean agent felt as though he had just swallowed a bullet. Then, crouched down on the floor and pinched his eyes with his hands. He scoffed.

"Director Choi and Agent Tseo?" Ki Soo repeated incredulously.

"Yes. Why?" Sun-Hwa looked surprised.

"She contacted me three days ago and asked when was the last time I saw him. He was assigned to assist her in Korea. NTS and NSS headquarters was infiltrated. The only survivor is Jun-Ho Park. She's looking for him." Ki Soo explained seriously. He stood back up. "The three of us were supposed to be dead fish. All right. Why then?" He added fairly. "Forget that. How is the idiot?" Callen noted he sounded offended.

Sun-Hwa gave him a look. She lowered Callen's hands and took his into hers. "Scared." She bobbed her head and looked thoughtful. The female agent was grateful Callen held her hand firmly. He felt her shook from head to toe. "He told me his wife and his daughter was involved in a car accident a few years back. His wife wasn't so fortunate. His daughter, on the other hand, dependent on life support. He told me he was interrogated by the Bureau and came to New Zealand to look for a list."

"Okay. This is what happens when no one keeps an eye on that fool. That list is important and he should know to leave that with NCIS, not to take it as a safe keeping with our new agency. If anyone should have that list. It's NCIS! Agent Stevens mentioned the list and was going to take it home to give it to her boss. That was the last she told me. Tell me. Why does the punk want the list?" Ki Soo looked alarmed.

Sun-Hwa sighed and gave him an understanding look. She can see why he was worked up. Callen looked surprised. His eyes filled with questions. He knew Ki Soo was referring his leader, Agent Tseo 'punk' and 'idiot' because nobody knows where his allocated or what he had been doing since he left the FBI agency.

"Our new agency?" Sun-Hwa asked, perplexed.

"Director Choi wants create a new agency in Los Angeles. She told me after I find you, we're to head back." Ki Soo explained. "She's the NSS deputy boss and had been out of the agency only because she was trying to stop the war from happening in Korea. I'll talk about her later. Right now, I'm worried for Agent Tseo. Nobody had seen or know what he had been doing for the last few years or know where the hell he was allocated."

Sun-Hwa nodded in agreement. "Agent Tseo told me the same last year. I'm sure we'll see him again. I'm also worried about him because when he came to visit me, there was a lot I don't understand."

Ki Soo sighed. "I hate it when he walks as a lone wolf. He's a pain in the ass like this one over here." He nodded over to Callen. Callen gave him a stare. Sun-Hwa turned only to find him gave her a look with her eyebrows raise. She cracked a weak smile. "So, why the hell does he want the list?"

"He told me about his dead FBI partner. Apparently, the person responsible for his death was not the bank teller. But, a member to the third terrorist organisation. In addition to his findings, he discovered his killer is a well train sniper. Agent Tseo told me the sniper is going after a friend he considered as his own kid. He told me he needed to protect Nell Jones and his partner was her husband. He said he won't forgive himself if anything happens to her. He sees Nell as his own family."

Ki Soo shared a concerned look with Callen. Callen felt her words had just pierced his heart. His mind racing within minutes. He places his own hand over his mouth and looked disturbed. It was as though Nell was right next to him because her words echoed in his mind. Her words echoed in his mind. " _Nobody knew what was on the classified file and he infected it with a Trojan virus._

Sun-Hwa studied them curiously. "How is it possible you two know her? She's with the FBI agency."

Ki Soo shook his head. He held a finger in the air. "Nell Jones is no longer with the FBI agency. She resigned after the death of her husband and reinstated with the NCIS agency. Now, she's NCIS. We need to find a way to warn her the killer is still out there."

 **[NCIS Los Angeles]**

"Okay. What was on the list that was so important?" Callen asked, feeling sick in the stomach at the thought of Nell being in danger.

He was shocked to learned her past was now catching up on her faster than anyone imagine.

"The list contains members of the third terrorist organisation. Director Choi always said there was one inside the government where all sensitive information can go on the wrong hands and she suspected there is a member in the Blue House. A recent activity involved her agents' files was copied, included Agent Grace Stevens. She came to see me and brought Agent Tseo to New Zealand that day because his fingerprints somehow ended up being access to her computer." Sun-Hwa looked disturbed about it and was still comprehending what Ki Soo had told her about Nell.

"What did he say about his own fingerprints?" Callen asked curiously.

"Agent Tseo had been on a deep undercover assignment when his fingerprint somehow ended up on the server. He became and concerned his cover might be blown. Suffice enough to say that it is given the current circumstances we're all in. I told him it is better to pull out. He said he couldn't not when he's too close. He believed in prison there are more members of the third cell there and already earned their trust for the last five years." Sun-Hwa explained.

"Did you just say prison?" Ki Soo interrupted. "That's where he'd been all this time, prison?"

Sun-Hwa gave him a look. "He knows how to take care of himself. I only hope he pulls out. Last year, he came by to my house one day, installed the cameras at my house when my husband was out at work and my daughter at child care." Sun-Hwa complied to answer his question.

"Tell me about Agent Grace Stevens visit to New Zealand. Why did she come and see you?" Callen wondered, puzzled.

Sun-Hwa glanced at the camera and looked warily at it. "I'll tell you everything why she came to see me, Agent Callen. But, I won't say it here and what I will say is only for you and Agent Ki Soo's ears only. That is my trust. Let me take those out and pack a bag. I know a place where we can be discreet. I also asked we shouldn't talk any further until we are in the car." She warned him.

"All right." Callen agreed uneasily.

She motioned her gesture to the top. The two agents remain below to observe her intention. It wasn't because they don't trust her. It was because they were supposed to protect her. They followed her gaze, watched her pointed her gun at the camera. She didn't shoot the camera once. But, twice. Then, she turned her attention once more to the agents. The Korean woman agent nodded at Callen. That was when the two agents went upstairs to take out all the cameras in the house.

After all the cameras were taken out, included the garage, the men agents followed Sun-Hwa to the garage. They watched her count silently to herself with her gun in hand. Then, stopped at the carpet, pulled it over to reveal a floorboard with a lock combination. Sun-Hwa keyed in the pin to reveal a blue bag pack and hung it over her shoulder.

"Ki Soo." Sun-Hwa hold out a detector equipment in her hand.

"I got it." Ki Soo accepted, then, roamed the equipment with his hand.

Callen knew what the equipment in his hand was for: it was a detector equipment that allows the agents to checked if they were bugged in the house and Sun-Hwa gave the equipment to her colleague only because she was worried that somebody else might listen about Agent Callen's findings on Agent Grace Stevens. One swipe after another around the walls, tables, chairs made a steady beeping.

Sun-Hwa approached Callen and place a pendent cross in his hand. It was a unique pendent and very well hidden. The NCIS leader gaped at her and he didn't need to question why his own colleague will visit a North Korean agent because the question he sought is right in his hand. It wasn't just the pendent she gave him. He noted the meaningful look she had given him and that look told him all. There was a piece of paper and a group of keys. Callen put away the necklace along with the group of keys into his jacket. Then opened the piece of paper she had given to him.

There was one name written on it: Susan Marazita. Callen realised the name he was given was an alias off his colleague and it was where Sun-Hwa was leading them. The name wasn't just on the piece of paper. But, included the rental address which was something he can investigate while she visited in New Zealand. He turned the piece of paper and notice a small golden key taped at the back with a bank code on it.

There was no doubt it was where they were going to go and talked exactly why Agent Grace Stevens paid her a visit. The address and name didn't just catch his attention. But, a code with numbers. He wondered if Ki Soo knows anything about codes.

After all, the guy isn't just an antique dealer, but, an intelligent agent like Nell Jones. Callen couldn't ask his two backups knowing they had to bail out of his home. All he can rely now is the two North Koreans. He followed Sun-Hwa out of the garage, then, walked back into the house to find Ki Soo hurried to them. He motions them to follow him. Callen noticed he looked really stress. The detector equipment still in his hand.

"What's wrong?" Callen asked in a levelled tone.

"Hacker." Ki Soo explained.

Ki Soo leaded them to the parents' bedroom. He sat down on the desk, set the detector equipment on the floor and started typing furiously. Files after files were all related to the North Korean agents. Unfortunately for Callen, all the files were written in Korean language. He could make out their faces and many of their faces looked like they gone a long way back. The male NCIS field agent noted Sun-Hwa clasped a hand over her mouth at the sight of the files flooding through the screen. Ki Soo swore under his breathed and then the next, Callen saw a count down on the screen.

"We need to get out of here, now!" Ki Soo warned them.

He picked the detector equipment off the table. Callen seized Sun-Hwa's hand. The three of them made race out of the room, dashed to the stair case and just as they reached the front porch, a loud explosion went off at the backyard. Callen pulled Sun-Hwa close to his chest. He saw her eyes widened in shocked at the noise of her own backyard. The noise didn't stop there. The rooftop went next and a second layer of explosion went off. Callen covered Sun-Hwa with his arms. Like the North Korean agent, he looked shocked. Ki Soo winced at the sight.

The three of them hit the ground. The final explosion went off. Loud alarms went off in the street. Lights switched on in all neighbourhood followed with a fearful screamed. Neighbours in their pyjamas had filed out of their houses. Sun-Hwa was so shocked that she tried to went back inside her own home. Callen restrained her and pulled her back. Sun-Hwa was screaming on top of her lungs, calling after her dead husband and her dead daughter. Tears stained her face in the dark. She hit Callen in the chest. He wouldn't budge.

The fire in the house was so bad that it rose into the air. Black smoke was followed. Sun-Hwa cried out in despair and fell to her knees. Callen was afraid she will go back into the house. He held her still. Then, he noted Ki Soo's look. Ki Soo had given him a meaningful look. The leader stayed on the floor for a full minute. Then, he stood back up with Sun-Hwa. The NCIS agent leaded her to the rental car. Sun-Hwa didn't even bother to fight off his restrain. She just followed, with her head down and looked defeated. Her tears continued to streamed down her face. Callen crouched down to her height and place a hand on her cheek.

"I'll be right with Ki Soo. Then we'll be off. You'll get answers, okay?" Callen said softly. He brushed the side of his hand against her cheeks

Sun-Hwa nodded. She closed her eyes. Callen smooth her back with his hand and hugged her briefly. He pulled away, closed the car door and walked to the North Korean junior agent.

"Are you going to tell me what happened in there? I don't read or speak your language." Callen demanded in an assertive tone.

Ki Soo glanced once at Callen, then, back at his colleague and back at the collapsed house warily. He pulled the leader by his shirt. "She will react more if I say this in front of her and no matter how close I am with Sun-Hwa, I can't tell her what I just discovered on her laptop because I know why Agent Grace Stevens came to see her in person."

"What's that look?" Callen urged him.

Ki Soo sighed. He looked disturbed. "You need to promised me not to tell Sun-Hwa and especially she thought she felt accepted by her husband. She thought she finally have a family."

"Ki Soo. She just lost her whole family included her mother and sister!" Callen pointed out defensively.

"More reason for me to protect her because she doesn't deserve to have another scar. The only people she needed to trust now is me and you." Ki Soo looked reluctant to say what he knows.

Once more, Callen gave him a look. "Then why can't you relay the information you are about to tell me?"

"National security." Ki Soo said truthfully.

Callen noted his tone of voice. He had no reason to lie. Still, what he was saying didn't add up. "You do know if we don't tell her the truth of what you know, that trust with her is gone." Callen had given him a murderous glare.

"All right. All right. Will you quit that look?" Ki Soo pinched the bridge of his own nose with his finger. "Agent Grace Stevens came to see Sun-Hwa because she suspected her husband is a member to the third terrorist organisation. She said, Sun-Hwa had been living with the enemy for over two years. I believed that's why Director Choi sent her and why the three of them visit her in person. It wasn't because her own life was in danger. It was because they all know he's a Melchidech."

"Melchidech?" Callen stared at him incredulously. "What was all those files on the computer?"

"Somebody hacked into the NK agency to search her aliases and it wasn't just hers but everyone who had been involved with the IRIS and Athena case. Sun-Hwa. Agent Grace Stevens. Agent Tseo. Hell, there was even a file on Director Choi and Jun-Ho Park. I was trying to stopped them getting into more servers. I think the hacker was from somebody in Washington DC." Ki Soo informed Callen.

"Somebody in Washington DC?" Callen repeated disbelievingly.

"Somebody know the password to get into their server long enough for the files to be copied. Then, another freaking server was about to open on her laptop when the countdown happened. They probably bailed by now." Ki Soo explained in a frustrated tone. "I don't know which is the next server the hacker targeted. It doesn't take a genius they were about to hack NCIS next. Why else will they dawdle long enough on Agent Grace Stevens file?"

"Then who the hell put the countdown on her laptop?" Callen was frazzled.

"Didn't Sun-Hwa tell you three people came to visit her last year?" Ki Soo pointed out.

His question gave him a thought. Callen re-called what Sun-Hwa had told him earlier in the living room. _"…So, he came by to my house one day, installed the cameras at my house when my husband was out at work and my daughter at child care."_

"Agent Tseo?" Callen looked taken aback.

"Who else is a freaking nut job?" Ki Soo scowled in a dramatic tone. He scoffed. He massaged his neck with his hand. "What did Sun-Hwa give you besides the list?"

"Where we are about to," Callen answered vaguely, not keen to give him much information.

Ki Soo scoffed. "What kind of answer is that? You're a real pain in the ass, Agent Callen. I gave you information and this is all I get? Hey! This is not fair play! You're really pushing it, you know that?" He raised his voice to a shout. "Maybe you and Agent Tseo can hook up for a date!"

Callen laughed and grinned at him. "You know you love me, buddy and besides, I just did give you information. It is fair play, Kim Ki Soo."

He smirked and walked back to the rental car with him. Ki Soo scoffed silently. He climbed into the car with him and shut the door. Sun-Hwa looked at them. Her eyes full of questions.

"Drive and we'll talk." Ki Soo assured her. "We better bail before we're on the midnight news. Don't look at me like that. You can thank Agent Callen who grilled me for what seemed a minute to an hour. Okay! I did _not_ set the countdown timer." He promised Sun-Hwa.

Sun-Hwa gave him a soft smile. Callen glanced at her and noticed she looked deep in her trail of thoughts. Her voice was calm and gentle. Her voice trembled slightly, yet, she meant it. "You couldn't have, Ki Soo. The only person who visited me could only be Agent Tseo."

 **[NCIS Los Angeles]**


	13. Chapter 13 Revelation

**Revelation**

 **Chapter 13**

 **[NCIS Los Angeles]**

It was protocol and mandatory procedure. That was what their boss had told them. Nell Jones and Eric Beale felt most uncomfortable to open their field leader's agents safe deposit box. They didn't want to think the next house they're going, which is his partner. They could only imagine how the Navy SEAL would react and the look of Sam Hanna's face.

But, under Henrietta Lange's strict measurement under their current circumstances, they felt safe and although her being their backup and insurance, they still felt terrible. They felt like they're thieving despite they were granted with permission. It just didn't feel right at all. Nell was chewing on her fingernails. She looked tensed up at the sight of the blow torch and the protective goggles in Hetty's hands.

The small red head already thought the three of them were trespassers and thieves. The whole combination lock came off. Hetty opened the door that was latched on the wall. Nell squinted. She was surprised Callen would even keep personal possession because he wasn't known to own any items. But, in his line of work, she understood the many layers of identities he lives with as an agent. Hetty lifted the bag out of the safe. She set it down on the ground, crouched down and took a set of keys before she zipped it up again.

Nell passed her the smart phone. "Director Choi is on the line."

"Thank you." Hetty accepted the phone and put it on her ear. "Lange _."_ A tune sounded on the phone. "Ye. _Gomabseubnida._ _Al-gess-eup-ni-da. Arasso. Ganeunghan han ppalli."_

Hetty looked at the phone. She clapped a hand over her mouth and looked tensed at the notification. Then, briefly closed her eyes.

"Hetty?" Nell asked concernedly. She places a consoling hand on her shoulder. The technician agent never seen her boss this stress.

"Deputy Choi wants you to be put under protective custody, Miss Jones." Hetty explained.

Nell looked confused. "I have firearms training." She said slowly and stopped when her boss took her hand to hers. Her eyes sparkled with tears. Nell had never seen her looked this worked up.

"I had complete confidence in you, Miss Jones. It is not about your skills. It is more so your safety and I am afraid to lose you. She had resurfaced." Hetty informed her. Her voice trembled. She passed the phone to Nell.

"Who's she?" Nell wondered.

Hetty gestured at the smartphone. The information she had digested made her reluctant to even sound out a valuable source. Nell looked at the phone and her eyes widened in shocked. On the smart phone, there was a bunch of photos of the woman she once encounters and she recognized the face.

A memory crept into her mind…

 **[Five years ago]**

 _Nell Jones walked into the office. Her teeth clenched tightly. Her hands tightened to a fist and the red hair woman looked ready to lose control. She had heard her husband's killer was now in custody with her husband's partner, Agent Tseo, in the interrogation room and the interrogation was just about to start._

 _She ignored all the protests from her colleagues. The stares and even the staffs hurried to her. When the staffs reached her and issue the order she was not allowed, Nell threw away the folder and dislocated her colleague's arm with one twist. The wife of Christopher Rogers was not kind to any excuse not when it was this personal and all professional boundaries were well forgotten._

 _It wasn't one colleague she tackled. But, eight of her colleagues. She didn't care if her colleagues crawled back to their desks to get her superior. The widowed wife did not care if her own career was in jeopardy and all she cared was to string up the suspect responsible for his murder. The former FBI technician burst into the room._

 _The former NK male turned around. His hair tied up in a neat ponytail and had a slight beard. There was no time to think at all. All he saw was Nell Jones charged straight up to the suspect, her hand went jammed straight to her throat and her suspect widened her eyes in shocked. The killer choke and spluttered. Agent Tseo got straight out of his seat and was determined to pull her away._

" _Tell me you kill him! Tell me you killed my husband!" Nell screamed, distraught in her voice. She screamed on top of her voice and didn't care no one in the FBI agency knows her deep secret is now out in the open._

" _Your husband was a perfect opportunist other than being a businessman–" The killer managed to tell her._

 _The next action Nell condone, was punch sink in her smirk face and it wasn't just once, but twice. The suspect grunted. Nell felt her words pierced through her heart and she didn't want to believed what she had said. A flood of security guards walked in and one of them tried to jabbed Nell with a sedated needle. The needle at Nell didn't reached her because she had knocked out two guards at her. Agent Tseo put out his hands. He too, was shouting on top of his voice._

" _Stop – just stop!" He gave the security guard a death glare. "Stay the hell back!" He warned them indignantly._

" _Sir, she is going out of control and had already broken procedure. You know she is well –" The security didn't finish his sentence. Nell kicked him in the face with her heels._

 _The killer let out a cold laughter. Nell's eyes sparkled with tears and her tears continued to streamed down her face. Agent Tseo had a wounded look on his face and stared at his partner's killer with a hard look on his face. He felt Nell trembled uncontrollably and held her firmly. Nell panted angrily and she glared at the woman in front of her._

" _He wasn't just an opportunist, but, the best lover in bed." The woman with brunette hair spit out a mouthful of blood._

 _Her last sentence rage Nell and she pushed Agent Tseo hard to the ground. This time, the internship student race towards her and seized her hair with her hand, she pulled her head up, force her vision to blur so the brunette gaze at the ceiling instead of her face. Nell didn't hit her face this time, but, her stomach. Her screamed reached to a screech and her screech raised to a chill that drew more security guards attention._

 _More security guards filed in. Five more security guards ran in and jabbed her once on her leg. Nell used her elbow to hit one security on his nose. She felt a second needle pierce not just on her left. But, on her right foot. The situation was so extreme that she received all five needles. The five needles that streamed into her veins made her vision all blurred. She heard Agent Tseo yelled in the background._

 _Then, had a brief sight of her superior, who had accepted her internship and before she knew what is yet to happen, Nell black out from the sedated needle that was issued earlier._

 **(End of Flashback)**

 **[NCIS Los Angeles]**

A tear leaked out of the corner of her eyes. Nell was so deep in thoughts she felt as though she was with the FBI yesterday. The analysis agent didn't even realised she had dropped the smartphone. Though, now, she is with NCIS and the memory felt so real that she feels to be at two places at once. Her thoughts were distracted at a gentle squeeze. Her boss squeezed her hand twice. It was enough to snapped her out of her thoughts and bring her to reality.

"I'm sorry, Hetty. I was just thinking –" Nell was lost for words.

"I know, my dear. Let's have a sit." Hetty guided her to the sofa.

"I don't think is a good idea for me to investigate, Hetty. I did tell you my internship with the FBI was terminated, suspended from duty and on field duty. No where am I allowed near there because I wreck all the chances at putting the suspect responsible for my dead husband. I know by then she would have been free because of me and if FBI sees me anywhere near me, they won't hesitate to throw me to prison and would even strip my new career. I guess I deserved it." Nell blabbered.

"Do I look like I give a damn to what the FBI cares?" Hetty patted her hand and sat down next to her.

Nell's eyes widened with astonishment. "Hetty. You _know_ who was my superior who accepted my internship. I feel embarrassed to even see them until now and I feel the obligation to apologise."

"Ah – that will be your first mistake, dear heart. You have absolutely no obligation to deliver an apology. You don't have to be afraid at all. Firstly, you were honest with me from the very start when you applied for NCIS and I heard Agent Tseo's side of the story and yours." Hetty corrected her firmly. "Your childhood was rough." She gave her a sympathetic look

"Agent Tseo spoke to you?" Nell looked shocked. "You mean when I settled in Los Angeles?"

Hetty smiled. "He told me to keep an eye out on the fools who barred his way as he investigated. There are more than once he was stopped due to conflict of interest and given I had spoken to Deputy Choi few years ago, she told me there are shades of incidents she could not implicate in the FBI agency just as it was with the CIA. I believed him because there were many strange unexplained incidents from Washington, the Pentagon and even inside the Blue House."

Nell looked surprised. "Agent Tseo had been paranoid in terms of security. You know he's one of the best NK agent and had looked after me when I was a child."

"I know. He was a father figure to you and therefore, he felt responsible because your family was involved with his fiancé highway accident that clashed with your grandparents included your younger sister's death. Agent Tseo refused to allow child services to take you to an orphanage and took you to custody where he know your family's death was not an accident but murder." Hetty nodded thoughtfully.

Nell looked confused and felt a little uneasy.

"I thought he was married to Agent Samantha Banks." Nell pointed out.

"You were nine years old, Miss Jones. You wouldn't have known his previous life. Agent Samantha Banks is his second wife. His first wife was not included on his file because she was a member to the terrorist cell." Hetty informed her.

Nell's eyes widened in surprised. "Did he know?" She felt her heart thumped wildly.

Hetty nodded in agreement. "His wife's autopsy report stated she carried an unborn child."

Nell let out a startled gasped and place her fingers on her lips. Her eyes sparkled with tears. "I… I didn't know. How did you know?"

"He looked troubled, concerned for your safety and kept asking me to put you on protective custody in fear of losing you. So, I asked Deputy Choi and went to Washington DC for his file. She was even hesitant to give me Agent Tseo's file and after I read his file, I understood why he had been tensed." Hetty explained gently. "It is not your fault, Miss Jones."

Nell sighed. "I know. It's just that I'm surprised he didn't tell me, that's all." She admitted.

Hetty passed her a box of tissues. Nell took a handful of tissues and dabbed a few on her eyes. "He never wanted you to carry your past as a burden after everything you had been through."

Nell sniffed and sighed once more. She nodded in agreement. Then gave her a watery smile. Her voice wobbled.

"My superior threatened me that she will make it harder for me to look for a job now that my internship was terminated because of the judgement I made. Truthfully, I am really scared to face my old team. If they are still there. I don't mean to sound like a coward. I just thought it might be a good idea since it is a conflict of personal interest. That's all. You can write to Nate Getz about my emotional interference and my past record with the FBI will suffice." She told Hetty tensely.

Hetty sighed and gave her a thoughtful look. Then, adopted a motherly tone. "I was hoping, even if you fear your old wound will become a deeper scar, I am hoping, when you face your worst enemy, your old wounds will heal. Otherwise, when will you ever be ready? When will you be able to deal with this cruel situation?" She told her employee wisely.

Nell, overwhelmed by her words of comfort, wrapped her arms around her boss and closed her eyes. Hetty smiled and folded her into her arms. "Thank you, Hetty, for always believing in me."

"You're most welcome, Miss Jones." Hetty smooth her back with her hand. They pulled away from each other. "If they are to arrest you, they must arrest me and Deputy Choi will send all her contacts from the person in charge in the Pentagon officers to deal with the FBI agency. She worked previously in Pentagon and Washington."

"Any word on the rest of the team?" Nell asked concernedly.

She finally pulled away and wiped her tears with the back of her hand. The small woman was grateful her manager had held onto her trembled hand.

"Indeed, Miss Jones. In addition to Deputy Choi, she had confirmed our team met with General Chul Young Park and will returned to Los Angeles in the next 17 hours." Hetty assured her.

Nell nodded in agreement. "And Agent Callen?"

Hetty patted her hand on her side. She gave her employee a small smile. "Thanks to our North Korean friend, Ki Soo Kim, he managed to pull Mr Callen out from a tight spot. Agent Sun-Hwa Kim held him at gun point only because her family was murdered and was hesitant to trust anyone. Amongst that, she requested proof they were both sent to warned her she was in danger and not in the hands of the wrong source."

"Agent Callen had one hell of a day. Gun point, kidnapped and a bomb vest secured on him is something he won't forget." Nell looked relief. "I can talk to Sun-Hwa. Maybe she will open more and I got a lot in common with her. The only difference is I don't have a kid." She chuckled slightly. After Nell heard her reasons, she felt a wave of sympathy for the North Korean female agent.

"Yes, you do, Miss Jones. Yes, you do." Hetty agreed solemnly. "Now, get ready to leave with Mr. Beale. I will be right behind you."

Nell nodded in agreement. "Okay."

 **[NCIS Los Angeles]**

The red hair woman studied the photo on the tablet. She had just transferred everything from the phone to her tablet to take a closer look at her known enemy. She was so focus she didn't notice her partner had gone into the kitchen to cook pancakes and make a hot chocolate not only for his partner, but, for their boss as well.

Eric Beale wasn't sure when was the last Nell Jones had regulate herself, not since the team leader was completely out of order and that shook her up. Although Callen had officially shown his apology to the whole team, Eric still felt irritated that his behaviour affected Nell. The technician set down a hot chocolate for himself and Nell. The smell of hot chocolate was so strong that distracted his partner.

"Eric Beale, I always thought the same rule for no foods in Ops applies in Team leader Callen?" Nell said with great interest.

"We're not in Ops." Eric wink at her. "I'm sure Callen doesn't mind. It's just I hadn't seen you eat or rest since we started."

"You're right. I shamefully broke down earlier and nothing to do with Callen. Trust me. The subject is totally different." Nell observed.

"Wha – how do you know?" Eric looked defeated.

"Eric, relax!" Nell took his hand and gave it a tight squeeze. "You're always my best friend. I would had called you my oppa but you're younger than me. It would be too weird." Nell admitted. She laughed nervously.

"What's with you and your Korean fanatic language?" Eric chuckled. "Were you uh…?" He wasn't sure how to say but Nell seemed to know a lot.

"I had a meltdown earlier with Hetty and she's been wonderful. I'll live. I know Korean language and became my first language only because I grew up there and you're going to hear it sooner or later." Nell told him lightly. "Do me a favour." She requested.

"Anything for you, darling." Eric assured warmly. He meant it. Nell gave him a soft smile.

"Tell Sam, Kensi and Deeks I'm sorry I didn't tell them. I know Kensi would understand and so would Sam." Nell looked thoughtful.

Eric gave her a questioning look. "But, you got nothing to be sorry for and they're agents. Whatever it is, they will work it out eventually, especially Callen. They live for this stuff."

"On the contrary, I had a lot to be sorry for and I was with the FBI as an internship student. Nate Getz would know and that's how I know him." Nell took a huge breathe.

"You can tell me anything and I'm always there to listen." Eric took her hand and squeezed it lightly. "I'm sure the team would say the same. Besides, you'd been with us for two years now."

"I know. This might throw you. Trust me. Okay, you know I was an analysis agent with the FBI agency?" Nell reminded him.

Eric nodded. "Yeah."

"You didn't hear anything I told Callen about my past life?" Nell wondered.

"No. I was picking up the surveillance and was noticing somebody who worked at Washington DC came online and off. I was busy monitoring their activity." Eric informed her.

"Good work, Mr Beale. Hold that thought will you?" Nell asked lightly.

"Okay." Eric gave in. "Is Callen really okay?"

"I'm sure he is now. He just need a little pick me up." Nell assured him. "I told him that I was married with an FBI agent." She wasn't surprise Eric's eyes widened in shocked and he hung his mouth slightly.

"You… You were married?" Eric asked uncertainly.

"Well, a widowed agent." Nell explained. She was grateful when Eric didn't look just sympathetic, but he had embrace her with a tight hug.

The red hair agent was glad to have somebody to cling onto and she hadn't since her adopted father is still out in the wind.

"So, those tears was about your…?" Eric was uncomfortable to say 'dead' noticing it had affected Nell a lot and was anxious for her.

"Yeah. Human traffic was a case my dead husband was working on and was freeing illegal immigrants out from captivity in a warehouse and he died after being discovered. Our boss found out the suspect I encountered wasn't just the bank teller I thought it was and was actually a terrorist member. You think I can hide behind the locker if the FBI show up?" Nell explained.

"There's nothing to be afraid of, Nellster." Eric supported her brightly.

"Yeah. I got a one year jail sentence because I went like a mad woman at the suspect. I shot the suspect in the leg and pulled her hair not to mention I injured everyone on the office floor along with security guards. Plus, my termination of my internship and being restrain with a sedated needles three times a day is something I wouldn't forget each day. If my dad, my oppa, wasn't there to give them all a karate kick, I think I would had received more needles than I would had like. Maybe I deserved it." Nell looked forlorn.

"Are you kidding?" Eric said defensively in a protective matter. "Oh hell no, Nell! If Team leader Callen knows about this, he would be aggressive with the FBI and CIA to let that reoccur. I will speak with him about it and make sure they wouldn't reach you."

"No! He of all people can't know!" Nell squeaked. She looked horrified and alarmed about Callen knowing it all.

"Nell, he's the best agent and I know him longer with Kensi, Deeks and Sam. Even if you don't tell him, he will know about it anyway!" Eric sighed.

Nell slumped on her seat lazily and pinched her hot chocolate. She gave him a look and the red hair purse her lips. "It's what he been through that's why I don't need him to be involved."

Eric rolled his eyes. "They're pretty good and fixing all the corners with limited knowledge about this, Nell. You know I'm right. Who's your dad you call him oppa? If you don't mind me asking."

"Oh!" Nell's face brighten up when Eric mentioned him. "Agent Tseo was the FBI liaison I told Kim Ki Soo about and he picked me up when I was nine years old? My original family came to Korea thinking we were going to win the big fish lottery. He did investigation and told me when I was a teenager that there was a drug ring that smuggled illegal immigrants with various marketing techniques to help with their business. Well, to my oppa would had been thirty years ago and to me, twenty-one years ago."

"You had a tight history with him?" Eric raise his eyebrows. Nell nodded.

"He was the one who got the adoption papers and refused I would go into care. Hetty told me earlier and it was something I always wonder why he never let me go into care. It's not that I wasn't grateful. It's because so many authorities will come knocking on the door because he was a former NK agent and was good at what he does. He was always afraid somebody will target me because of him." Nell told her partner conversationally.

"What did Hetty tell you that he never did?" Eric asked, taken aback.

"That he had a wife before Agent Samantha Banks. That his first wife was a terrorist member and carried an unborn child. That his wife collided the car with my family. My grandmother, grandfather, my sister and I were thinking it was our first family vacation." Nell looked deep in thoughts about it unaware her eyes sparkled in tears. "I never understood why he looked so beat and would always stay awake until I fall asleep and he will even stay in jail many times breaking countless protocols when it comes to me."

"He sounds like a good dad." Eric complimented.

"He is and I never asked for toys but still gave me a box. I told him I'm too old for toys." Nell smiled fondly about it.

"Barbie dolls?" Eric joke.

"Barbie dolls?" Nell smirked. She shook her head and made a face at him. "He knows I hate barbie dolls. I refused to go to girls section since he took me shopping and unless is a teddy bear then I would keep quiet. I only have a mountain of teddy bear that I can give to the team just for the fun of it."

Eric laughed. "Save it for Christmas and just put a santa hat on it. You know, decorate it with green and red colour."

Nell flung her arms around him. "I think I can do that and you can help me."

"Sounds fun." Eric agreed. He looked relief to see she was more like herself than usual. "Feel better?"

"Thanks, Eric." Nell cupped his face with her hands and gave him a long loud kiss on the cheek, completely forgetting that their boss was in the room and she thought for a brief moment she saw Hetty through the reflection.

Surprisingly through the mirror reflection, Hetty smiled approvingly at them and took a sip from her hot chocolate. Eric even felt they were peeved at this special moment. He awkwardly patted her on the back. Nell pulled away and grinned cheekily at him.

"You take your break and can tell me your lead." Eric reminded him.

"Take your break with me." Nell told him.

"Are you asking me out on a date?" Eric asked feeling wrong footed.

"You can say that." Nell challenged him lightly.

"Make sure you do it behind close door when Director Granger is not in the house." Hetty spoke from the couch warily. Eric choke on his hot chocolate at getting caught by their boss. "You don't want me to issue a restraining order on the two of you."

"Yes, ma'am." Nell agreed brightly feeling complied.

 **[NCIS Los Angeles]**


	14. Chapter 14 Edge of the Iceberg

**Edge of the Iceberg**

 **Chapter 14**

 **[NCIS Los Angeles]**

Eric Beale took away the tablet out of his partner's hand. He made sure Nell was tuck away in the living room on the couch than near the computer. Now he understood why his partner looked so worked up. In fact, he only just realised when was the last time she got a good decent sleep.

Plus, when they do leave Callen's house after prepping all the backstopped and enroute, Nell Jones is the current field agent now that all the team members are scattered across the countries. A two-hour sleep will be a bonus for a tired Nell. Eric knows she isn't resting and noticed as of late her behaviour had been out of order.

Eric wanted to coddle her. But, to be caught under the eyes of their boss is not a good idea particularly with a restraining order out in the open was not at all appealing to him. Nell gave him a tight hug and a kiss on the cheek to show her appreciation. She set her empty coffee cup and plate in the kitchen, surprise that her partner brush her away so she wouldn't clean.

The red hair woman wandered back to the couch. She looked around for the phone that had the photo of the suspect and smiled at her boss. Her boss had the phone in her hand. She wavered the phone at her direction and raise an eyebrow at her colleague.

Nell knew what that meant: she was banished from work for the time being and knew then she was caught out with her odd behaviour. Then pointed at the couch. The rookie climbed into the couch reluctantly and Hetty draped a thick blanket over her.

"This is an order, Miss Jones. One hour is suffice for me to tell your partner everything and for you to rest. We both know your past is the reason you couldn't sleep." Hetty advised her in a motherly tone. Nell's eyes well up.

"You know what I am scared of, Hetty?" Nell asked her honestly. It was the first time she ever spoke much about her past that made her who she is today.

"You and I share the greatest fear and that is loosing the people we care about, Miss Jones. Family." Hetty responded knowingly.

"I feel the people I care about are slipping away from my fingers. I'm so scared for Agent Tseo and the fact I'm the reason that everyone will be in danger." Nell admitted tearfully. "I already watched my grandmother, my grandfather, my little sister who I was supposed to protect, was gone too soon."

Hetty took her hands in hers once more. "Miss Jones. I'm afraid my past is more the reason that our team is in danger because the reason I got Agent Hanna and the team to rescue the General is because he was recruited as a member of IRIS. General Chul Young Park was assigned to assassinate me and Owen Granger during our time and we were with the CIA agency."

Nell contain her tears and choke back her sobbed. She stared at her boss and tried to comprehend what she had just said. "Are you sure we can still trust him? I know he's Agent Tseo's commanding officer and to the other two NK agents. But, this is a guy who was asked to kill you who knows how long!" Her voice croaked.

"He was asked to assassinate the two CIA agents only because we knew we were assigned to protect five nuclear scientists who was in progress to complete the nuclear technology." Hetty provided promptly. "And, it was the only ticket out for his freedom for his wife and his daughter. He surrendered to us because he trusted the CIA will give them a better future. Plus, his desire to see the North and South reunification is a blessing like many children. Many North Koreans run to the South for a better life."

"Then, there must be a leak in the agency just like the leak that's going on in NSS and NTS in Korea." Nell suggested.

"The handler was my leak." Hetty told her. "I was wrong to trust my handler and I always felt there was something about my handler I never like. Why I and Owen Granger were sent to a designated country to retrieve the nuclear scientists was because he wanted the scientists for himself. He is just like Baek-San. Baek-San is the man who frame Kim Hyun Jun and the former NSS Director. He is also a secret member to IRIS. I figure him out too late. We investigated it was him feeding liable information to the terrorist organisation that leak the safe house locations."

"When did you learn to trust him?" Nell was astounded.

Hetty smiled and sat down next to her. Nell relaxed back on her pillow. "Park was adamant there is always a member of IRIS that integrated to the CIA agency and when their own is discovered, they are murdered in the most mysterious ways and the members who move into our agency is the perfect cover we discovered too late. He left clues. IRIS is livid that no electrical communication is to be use and what they use was the old ways, Miss Jones. They send out their team of journalist and put out the articles or else magazines enough for them to decipher the codes."

"Who did you turn your handler after you figure out he was a terrorist?" Nell stuttered. Her mind went blank for a minute.

"Washington DC and I got in touch with Deputy Choi Min-Oh. She sent an arrest warrant as well as the head of the National Security."

"What happened?" Nell was intrigued and it wasn't exactly her usual bed time story. The talk did calm her panic.

"He lured the IRIS members over to the nuclear scientists' safe house. There were three of them and I busied to get a signal for the phone. Worst reception was yet to happen. He called me for backup. I did not hear. Comm links were down. I still went and checked, not feeling good about it all. When I went back to the warehouse to recommend a travel to at least a store, I saw Granger on the ground with his two legs shot."

"Who asked him to order the kill?" Nell asked innocently.

"All we got was a person called Mr. Black. All IRIS members never see him face to face unless they are instructed to and will always be with be blindfolded to go to the headquarters. However, those who had seen and know are always murdered in the most mysterious ways." Hetty told her.

"I'm guessing the conspiracy in the CIA was the same incident like Kim Hyun Jun." Nell guessed.

"Quite so, Miss Jones. It first started out with a technician and a security guards that guarded the CIA access area were killed with a very odd choice of weapon: Polonium 210." Hetty told her.

"Polonium?" Nell said weakly. "Hetty, isn't Polonium access usually by...?"

"Sleeper agents that is out from an unknown organisation such as IRIS and Athena members. Black agents. So, I heard." Hetty agreed. "A weapon so toxic that it can't even compare to potassium cyanide use for short range assassination and it can only be obtained in a nuclear tech lab. Handful of countries could had produce such weapons and it was proven it was stolen from a scientist laboratory."

"I'm guessing the CIA never found out the killer." Nell surmised.

"They never did and to add insult to the CIA security, those who were killed had their family members murdered with the same weapon. We did suspect there was several insiders because there were times when the a cleaner access classified information on about certain safe houses, five nuclear scientists information and trying to claim clearance security levels in order for the program of the nuclear technology to be near completion." Hetty concluded. "We suspected it was the former security CIA worker."

"The person who killed the security guard?" Nell stated.

"Yes. We had every reason to believe the CIA member was believed to be IRIS. Ten years later after General Chul Young Park provided clear solid Intel how IRIS function, with an IRIS members always integrating into their enemy grounds, the security guard that was killed and the cleaner we suspected showed up in the beach dead. Murdered with a single shot at the back of the head. He handed two North Koreans escapees in exchange for freedom and they lived with the IRIS members." Hetty finished.

"I got to say, Polonium 210 is a very odd choice of weapon. The killer had a thousand way but to pick that is strange." Nell said thoughtfully. "And General Chul Young Park?"

"I was in an unfortunate pit to find the three hit men were about to administer me with a Polonium 210. The Korean General knew because it was a weapon he was first to give and a weapon he never wished to be associate to remind him of the people he had lost. I respect him because he swore he will never returned to IRIS and will work towards the reunification to happen. There are countless times he was sent with a hit squad and many times he asked for his agents to be sheltered in Washington DC." Hetty explained warmly.

Nell wasn't sure what to think now and after hearing the tale of her unfortunate situation, she wasn't going to question her about the taste and she imagine having to encounter with the worst possible weapon and able to see why her boss would trust the North Korean stranger. It was a huge trust and Nell understood completely. It was the same trust like her adopted father.

"I'm sorry, Hetty," Nell winced and felt a cold shiver rushed through her spine. She felt very nervous suddenly and that fear mix with a heavy grief was gone.

"I would be asked the same question with a man like that in your life." Hetty patted her on her hand. She smiled. "Miss Jones, we're NCIS and if we do our job correct, our family will come home. Our past collided more than we realised. Still, your team needs you more than you realised and I never want you to blame yourself, ever. What you experience, Nell, will only make you stronger."

She places her hand on her smooth cheek. Nell hugged her. "I love you, Hetty." Nell told her warmly.

"I love you too, cupcake." Hetty chuckled lightly. She patted on her cheek lightly. "I think we chatted quite long, dear."

"Yeah. We did. I don't think Eric ever want to know what happened between you and the General." Nell whispered in a low voice seriously. "He's going to have nightmares about that weapon."

"Yes, quite so indeed, Miss Jones, very much he will." Hetty agreed thoughtfully. "Good-night, Miss Jones."

"Good-night, mum." Nell said cheekily and in a truthful matter.

Nell closed her eyes and rolled in the couch like a little girl. Her words shocked Hetty for a full minute. Then, the small woman pulled the blanket up to ensure she was covered cosily and gave her a kiss on her head in return, feeling touched.

 **[NCIS Los Angeles]**

Eric Beale studied the phone that Hetty had given Nell. He took a closer look on the eight photos. It was a clear indication that the person she had met was indeed the bank teller and the official sniper. It was also clear to him that her enemy from the past had been into the NCIS agents' homes. The technician knew because he had been to Sam's house for some occasion and the celebration to Kensi and Deeks' engagement party to prepare earlier in the year before Callen went sober.

The last hour, he finished the backstopped that was created and had traced the hacker carefully. His laptop had been blinking with an open inbox on the screen at the bottom. He had been afraid to open thinking it could be a virus link. Hesitantly, the computer whiz team member opened up to find it was an incoming video call that showed two Koreans on the screen. He almost dropped the phone on the ground.

"Holy shit!" Eric cursed under his breathe.

"How are you Mr Beale? My name is Choi Min Oh, Deputy Choi and former NSS Director. I believed I spoke to your boss an hour ago," The woman with black short hair introduced herself.

She had a white business attire suite just like her colleague. Eric was certain her colleague, appeared to be a technician like him, must be Jun-Ho Park. The NTS survivor technician who looked badly injured. The NTS team member had his shoulder wrapped in a heavy bandage and had several glass cuts on his side temple. He was positively beaming and gave a friendly wave to him.

" _Annyeonghaseyo!"_

"Uh… Hi?" Eric responded awkwardly, unsure what to say and feeling clueless by the minute.

"This is Park Jun-Ho. He's the NTS technician and the only survivor. I believed you had a team station in New Zealand. We had every reason to believed he had discovered the hackers in the warehouse." The Deputy informed and confirmed clearly.

"Okay, can I asked how you managed to find him? Last we heard NSS and NTS headquarters was attacked by the third terrorist organisation." Eric queried directly.

"Understandable. All NTS agents have an access to a safe deposit box secured in a bank. Smart phones. All are encrypted and its issued from my consulate in Washington DC. Cash. Weapons. Passports and First Aid Kits are all secured in there. I received a code F1. That code, Mr Beale, is an emergency status and I trace his location." The Deputy Director explained.

"If you're not in Korea, then, where are you now?" Eric asked slowly.

"Los Angeles." Min prompted. "We got here only just yesterday and setup our headquarters once we heard NCIS is compromised. I understand you're looking for the hackers that is from New Zealand and I had a good hunched who, I'm sure Hetty will know where I'm coming from."

"You want to speak with her?" Eric offered.

"No. Let her stay with your partner." Min replied warmly. It sounded to Eric that she knows it all. "We believed it can be the two North Koreans escapees that is responsible for hacking because we had trouble tracking them down and furthermore, we conclude they are responsible for the death of the North Korean politicians' party at the reunification committee meeting. It is better that your team catch them because if they are to be caught out by the MELCHIDECH, then, you can guarantee they will be found dead in the shores like all other agents. We need them alive, Mr Beale."

"MELCHIDECH?" Eric starred at her.

"We believed it is the third terrorist organisation your agent had discovered. That's why she was murdered, Mr Beale. She had half the list of their members in the secondary file and was about to deliver to Henrietta Lange. We had been investigating the incomplete files from IRIS and that was how she discovered the new members of MELCHIDECH. Jun-Ho will send you the two North Korean escapees information your way." Min offered.

"I'll let the team know." Eric complied, clicking away on his laptop.

"And Mr Beale, please be careful. I don't have a very good feeling about our latest intel. The North Koreans are fuelling the blame game. Truth to be told, I believed they are in league with the MELCHIDECH just as they are with IRIS in the past. Yoo Jong Won is a clever North Korean escapee and turn the tables so fast on the North Korean politics. When we offered our security from the South in a similar incident to occur in Hungary, he declined and when the assassination happened in the room, he fault the South Korean politician side. Don't underestimate him. Now, he fights only for his cause included the North Korean Coup." She advised him.

Eric nodded. "We will."

The online meeting ended. Eric opened the file that he received. Then, he noticed the intel was all in Korean language. He almost fell backwards in his chair and saw his boss behind him. The technician felt his heart had just seized up completely. Hetty smiled.

"I presume you were with my good friend, Min?" Hetty said sharply. "I know the language well enough and no need to wake Miss Jones."

"She thinks the hackers are two North Korean escapees. You think we should tell the Five-0s?" Eric pondered.

"Let's read through this before we make that decision. There is always a reason Min sends it to me personally. Did she say anything about Grace?" Hetty asked curiously.

Eric rubbed his eyes with his hand tiredly and adjusted his glasses. "Yeah. Min said she believed our agent was murdered because she hold half the list of the third terrorist organisation. List of terrorist members and called MELCHIDECH." Eric prompted her.

"Oh, Yoon Jong Woo. He is indeed a North Korean escapee and a subordinate to General Chul Young Park. He was one of the candidates the General requested me to ship him over to America and lived as a citizen. I know, because I did his papers for him. He was asked to give a second chance to rights his wrong." Hetty looked doubtful.

"Can we really trust a North Korean General military man? I trust Min but this is a North Korean business we're dealing with here," Eric said, filled with hesitation. "They're brutal with not just their politicians but worse than German concentration camps and no sense of human rights." He said strongly.

"I understand. Miss Jones asked me the same and I will say it again, despite the fact he was assigned to assassinate me and Owen Granger, I trust him because without his solid Intel and the method that the organisation was function, we would not be alive today or close the investigation. One member always integrate to one agency, Mr Beale and one had lived as an IRIS member in the CIA." Hetty said confidently.

Eric looked taken aback and felt he had swallow a led. He sighed and wasn't quite satisfied with her answer but trusted his boss. "And the other girl...?"

"Kim Yun Hwa. She is also a North Korean escapee and lived in the concentration camp. She was seen as a waitress and had entered the NK Prime Minister room and strangulate him with a garrotte weapon. She and Yoon was believed to be behind the North Korean politician assassins and the last sightings was when they jumped off a bridge in Budapest. They were the suspects believed as IRIS members." Hetty informed him. She continued to read the suspects on the file.

"How did Min...?" Eric was impressed. He couldn't finished because to get this solid Intel. "Never mind. Uh, so this Kim Yun Hwa girl, you think she's related to Kim Sun-Hwa or Kim Ki Soo?" He noted their surnames. "What's her background?"

"Do you mind to check on Min's itinerary?" Hetty request suddenly.

Eric felt very wrong footed and was beginning to feel scared of facing her new friend if she ever finds out Hetty did a search on her travel background. "We're watched by two crazy North Korean escapees and your friend just caught two hackers. Why not asked her directly where she goes? She's a South agent."

"Because I feel she is in on the edge of an iceberg. We may be close friends, Mr Beale. She had her own way on going as a lone wolf given the history conspiracy that brewed in NSS. That incident made her trust no one." Hetty persisted firmly. "I will gladly take the responsibility."

"Are you sure?" Eric asked doubtfully. Hetty gave him a look and raise her eyebrows at him in a stern matter.

"I'm not joking with you and the word MELCHIDECH gave me enough reason to look in on her." Hetty answered firmly.

Eric hovered his fingers on the keyboard for a while. Then, shut his eyes tightly and quickly type away using the NCIS network system search. He turn away on password access required area. Hetty type away on the keyboard using two fingers.

"All yours, Mr Beale." Hetty announced. Eric sighed and reluctantly complied.

"Here goes nothing." Eric said nonchalantly as he could. Moments later, the profile pop up on the screen.

Hetty studied the flight details. Then frowned longingly on a familiar name. "Run the name Susan Marazita, please."

Eric obliged and tap away on the keyboard. The screen beeped several times and a familiar face pop up on the screen to show the flight details. The technician realised why Hetty had asked him to run the name because the name 'Susan Marizata' was Grace Stevens alias.

"That's where Sun Hwa Kim lives." Eric said slowly.

"Yes, it is." Hetty agreed with a frowned.

Eric looked taken aback to find all Grace's work was written in Korean and he couldn't even understand one word. The only English word that stood out was 'Operation MELCHIDECH.'

"Uh Hetty...?" Eric felt uneasy about pointing out an unpleasant discovery.

"I know. Operation MELCHIDECH. See if her name and any of her South Korean agents are involved on this case." Hetty advised him. "Agent Tseo and Jun-Ho Park. It might link to the time that our agent was murdered to explain why she stayed in Korea in the first place."

"Okay." Eric moved his fingers across the keyboard.

A few keystrokes and the sound of beeping stood out on the screen and moreover, Eric found a strong layer of secondary file latched on a file in their own agent's cloud drive. Eric scoffed and shook his head.

"She got some skills. Oh my god, she put the work all in the cloud drive and this encryption is in Korean. I think we need Ki Soo for this and Sun Hwa. Well, maybe more on Ki Soo cause he's an analysis like Nell, right? He will need our NCIS server at the Op centre to break the password." Eric told his boss.

"Operation MELCHIDECH must be the main reason Agent Tseo vanished for a long period of time and why Min could not find him. I also believed it might be the reason he was in this undercover due to the hack being done in Washington DC using Min's inactive account." Hetty explained.

"Why?" Eric asked, aghast at the newfound information. "Who would be reckless enough to leave a solid lead that can be trace by NSS and NTS agencies after them?"

"Nuclear warheads is enough to prevent everything to IRIS desire, Mr Beale and the same goal with the MELCHIDECH. It is enough to shake the reunification to ever unite with the North and South Korea. Plus, the Coup in the North military to seize power and the weapon is enough greed to send everything to a frenzied. It affects the stock market, the alliance and a mark of them to ever happen in Seoul. History." Hetty explained.

"What do you want to do with the two North Korean hackers?" Eric reminded her. "Is it such a good idea to let the Five-0s to be involved?"

"We have no choice if we know several agents had been sleeping in Hawaii and that includes Agent Tseo and Kim Ki Soo. His connection with Detective Kalakaua was certainly a blow and God knows where else is his side kick. My best guess he could be under prison as his cover and I do not see him as a cleaner." Hetty told him sharply. "There is even a strong chance he may have already known the team."

"He could use a cleaner. Long, lanky hair with a snake tattoo?" Eric recited. "We never seen him and there's no photo of him. Sure Nell don't have one?"

Hetty smiled. "Send the details to the Commander, won't you?"

"I'm on it."

"We'll leave Mr Callen's home once is all done."

 **[NCIS Los Angeles]**


	15. Chapter 15 The Hackers

**A/N:** Crossover chapter with Hawaii Five-0

Re-arranging the chapter contents and be publishing the rest when it is completed and only because it is the Christmas season, you guys get the whole chapters to read! Don't forget to leave your review and follow me on twitter that is to be located on my profile.

* * *

 **The Hackers**

 **Chapter 15**

 **[NCIS Los Angeles]**

He was right to be paranoid and to raise his security for his team. His gun raise high in the air and scan the area cautiously with his colleague and a squad of New Zealand policemen. What was in front of Steve McGarrett did not make sense to him and could only suspect it might be a false trail because a laptop had four screen divided on the display monitor and the Navy SEAL doubled tap to review the surveillance footage until they were distracted by a new voice entrance. Steve could have sworn he felt he had just swallowed a bullet.

His eyes widened in shock and cling onto his weapon firmly in his hand at the new sight of two unexpected visitors. The new stranger gloated at his expression and Steve furrowed a frowned.

"It's over Agent Kendricks!" Steve announced. He gritted his teeth, fuming and tense completely when he saw the former CIA agent raise a remote that reminded him of the Irish International terrorist doing the same threat a few years back.

"You walked right into this one, McGarrett. You really think I will go back empty handed?" Agent Kendricks raised his remote once more. "Call of your squad or else I will turn her into pieces."

Steve stared at the sight of the new Korean woman in front of him. She was rigged with an armed explosive vest like the one he had discovered on Agent Callen and Kim Ki Soo. The commander thought she looked young enough to be a legal adult and in her early twenties. A woman young enough to enter university for He stared at the former agent intently.

"Call off your squad and throw down your weapon." Agent Kendricks demanded. "She can play dead fish once more." Steve frowned at his last statement and pondered what his South Korean agent had told him earlier about being dead fish for five years.

The former military man emptied his gun and his ammos. Then, threw it angrily at him. " _Pick it up darling and point it to your head_." Agent Kendricks hissed in Korean.

His hostage glowered at him with a glare. Then, reluctantly picked up the weapon off the floor and pressed the gun to her head unwillingly. Steve looked urgently at her and he noted the look of regret in her eyes. Her eyes wasn't just filled with fear. It brimmed with a well of tears. She was just a lost kid. That was what Steve see in her.

His squad left. Chin remained behind. It wasn't until Agent Kendricks took a shot at his chest to declare he meant real business. The lieutenant fell backwards. Steve widened his eyes in horror and caught him in his arms. He was thankful they were both wearing a vest and it was his armour that swallow a bullet instead of his life.

The hostage even utter a gasped of shock and looked frightened at the unexpected shootout. Agent Kendricks pulled her hair behind her head to stopped her running and yank it with his hand ruthlessly.

"Chin!"

"The next shot will be his head!" Agent Kendricks demanded fiercely. "And once your friend is dead, Kim Yun-Hwa will be next!"

Steve helped him on his feet. Then nodded at him. "Go. I'll be fine."

The leader quietly accepted the knife from him and tucked it behind his holster. Chin then took his leave. Once he was out of sight, Steve stood in a defensive stance. "Okay. It's just me and you now, Agent Kendricks. It's just me and you. Tell me, how did you get to be involved with the North Korean alliance political affairs and end up being in New Zealand?"

"Why did I pick Agent Callen and your boy?" Agent Kendricks replied sarcastically. He ignored his main question. "It is enough time to allow my team to return to their hide out and somebody on my team needs to be the sacrificial lamb. Operation IRIS. Now, I believed is Operation MELCHIDECH. One member is always integrated to one agency forever allowing sensitive classified information to be leaked such as the nuclear scientist safe house and such as the nuclear warheads to allow our organisation to be the world leaders."

Steve stared at him. His eyes never blinking and followed his words carefully. Once he got his answer, he was already planning to throw his only weapon at his hand and get Kim Yun Hwa with him.

If anyone knew how the terrorist organisation function, it was her and whoever she is, Steve knew she was an important informant. He made a mental note to pay a visit to Sang-Min once he returned to Hawaii. His first official informant and his ties to his international terrorist arch enemy. Who knows better how the organisation function other than the woman and his first hand informant?

"CIA must be involved somehow." Steve looked questioningly at him.

"Yes, we are and I left the CIA agency only because they failed to protect my wife and my daughter." Agent Kendricks revealed. "You know our line of work, commander, how dangerous it is, everyday."

"So you're best option was to become a terrorist?" Steve yelled angrily.

Agent Kendricks laughed coldly. "Rogue Agent. The North Korean escapees will give you an idea and I joined them because it is exactly who I am and who they are: we desire revenge against the North and those who destroyed our lives. I am one of the few CIA agents who knows the safe house to the nuclear scientists. If anyone who knows better, it will be Henrietta Lange and Owen Granger. They're your best bet."

He revealed to a shock Steve. "You're the leak." Steve figured out.

"The nuclear scientists were originally hidden in South Korea and after my family was kidnapped, I was held hostage to work with IRIS and this woman, Kim Yun Hwa was responsible and her sister, Kim Sun-Hwa, believed her dead since the concentration camp. You know the type of concentration camp I'm talking about, don't you? Who cares if she's dead? She'd proven all those years and was the evident tied to the case for the North Koreans official agents."

He sneered and move the gun around her head.

"Hey! Hey!" Steve warned him sternly as he saw Agent Kendricks pressed the gun firmly against her head. "She's a kid, god dammit! A kid!" he yelled fumingly. "I'm a better hostage than she is so let her go and I will take the vest."

The young woman in front of him shook her head. Her eyes widened in shocked at his warm offer. Steve was downright serious and he ignored her protest.

"She is the woman responsible for kidnapping my wife and my daughter not to mention the sniper responsible to pull the trigger on your detective whom you call a sister! _I – did – not_ pull the trigger on Detective Kalakaua that day."

He looked ready to lose it all. The hostage whimpered at his grasped.

"Agent Kendricks, I believed you. I believed you. Okay, she's a member to IRIS and the hacker responsible for the infiltration network in NCIS." Steve guessed rightly.

"Damn right she is and she deserve to die." Agent Kendricks confirmed. He looked mad and even crazed. "You want to know how I end up in New Zealand? I'll tell you. After using the contacts from IRIS, I learned her sister believed the body she had seen was her sister was actually my wife's corpse. I want her to believed Kim Yun Hwa was dead and so I took her bracelet just to convince her death. My revenge is never complete and today, I will kill her and I know Agent Callen was the one to be sent to protect her sister. A filthy traitor!"

"Agent Kendricks!" Steve warned him.

"You were right to say I am the leak in the CIA because all I cared was to make Kim Sun-Hwa watch her die for the second time and this time, there will be no second chances not when I can avenge my family!" Agent Kendricks finished sourly.

Steve reacted right on time. He use his left hand after Agent Kendricks fired a shot at his hand. He had seen him took the knife out from his holster. The North Korean hostage kneed her offender in the stomach several times and punch his hand, knocking the gun to the floor, allowing Steve to dived for the weapon despite his hand bleeding profoundly with a bullet engrossed on his palm.

The leader picked up the knife swiftly. Then, the gun off the floor and as soon as Yun-Hwa ran to him, Steve flung to the floor and took his shot several times to Agent Kendricks. He shot him once on his leg, completely disabling him and shot the other. Then, shot his suspect on his hand. The hand that held the remote all the while dropped like a rock and there was a long terrible anguished that echoed in the area. Agent Kendricks howled in agony.

"That was for Kono." Steve said defensively in a protective matter.

He felt his hand stinging and blood poured down the concrete ground.

His eyes fixed for awhile until Kim Yun Hwa came to his view. The hostage dropped her weapon and offered her hand to helped him up to his feet. Her eyes widen with pure innocent terror.

"Commander, are you okay?" she asked in her strong Korean accent. "You need help! You need a doctor!" She looked horrified at the sight of his damage hand.

"I'm okay, kid." Steve assured her. "I'm okay. You, on the other hand, are not out of the woods."

"Who cares about me right now? You could have died just now taking that useless bullet!" The woman argued, clearly stunned at his gesture and invitation to protect a villain. "Is it true that my sister is alive?"

The North Korean escapee helped him to his feet by his arm. Steve notice the lights on her vest flashed with red colour and knew she needs a professional bomb squad.

Steve nodded. "Agent Callen is with her."

"Can I speak with my sister? I'll tell you everything you need to know." Yun-Hwa offered abruptly. "All this time, I thought she was dead and the last time I saw her was at the concentration camp. I saw the military men taking her away to become a North Korean agent."

Steve rested a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, you have my word, I'll get in touch with her. Right now, I believed you should stay with me and my team and tell us everything you know. Who else is the other hackers?"

"Good luck hunting them down, Commander." Yun-Hwa sighed. "They're gone by now. I was supposed to be back by the headquarters but I woke up at the back of his red truck and found was blind folded then strap with this stuff on."

"I need names, kid. Names." Steve implored her. He was relieve to hear the squad policemen and Chin had return to the area.

Chin jogged over to his boss and the first sight that caught his attention was his bleeding hand. He gaped at Steve who dismissed his injury.

"Yoo Joong Won. He's pretty much a petty theft after he was demoted and ran away from the North." Yun-Hwa sniffed tearfully. "The other hacker is Park Tae Hee. She's a military mercenary assassin and loved her knife a little too much. You're looking at four hackers. Me, Yoo Joong Won, Park Tae Hee and Ray. I don't know the fourth one too well. I just met him today."

"All right. Tell me what you do know about this Ray and I hope is not Raymond Lu." Steve clarified.

"No. It's definitely not Raymond Lu at all. I don't know his last name and only his first name. He's a American mercenary assassin like Park Tae Hee. A very well train sniper and the one who killed Kim Hyun-Jun, NSS leader charged with espionage." Yun-Hwa revealed. Her eyes narrowed darkly. "Don't put him in a room with any woman. He'll try to seduce them just as he done with me. Blonde hair, scruffy looking man with a strong American accent. He understand little Korean and just speak straight out English." She advised him strongly making Steve looked impressed how she cottoned on something like this.

"And they were station in the other warehouses?" Steve confirmed seriously.

"Yup. It's only because we barred up the signals calls. You notice how there are no towers that explain bad reception right?" Yun-Hwa pointed out.

Steve nodded. "Thank you, Yun-Hwa. Will you please go with Chin for the time being?"

The woman nodded and Steve motion his colleague over. "We will see each other again. Right? Treat your injury before I get a heart attack." She told him sternly. This made Chin chuckle.

"You're just a lost kid who got into a bad crowd with serious bad decision." Steve said honestly. "Truthfully, you need that vest off and don't worry about me. I know how to handle myself. I'm a SEAL." He assured her.

"Okay. Commander, why is my sister with an agent?" She asked curiously.

"Agent Callen is working to get your sister off the elimination hit list out of New Zealand. We need to put you on protective custody." Steve explained. "Hey, she'll be fine. I promised you, when I hear anything about your sister, you will be the first to know. Okay?"

"Thanks, Uncle Steve." Yun-Hwa smiled gratefully at him. "You don't mind if I call you uncle? It's just you offered yourself as a hostage and look too old as a brother." She tease him fondly.

Steve chuckled. He can only imagine the look on his partner's face when he return. "Fair call, as long as you don't call me dad."

Yun-Hwa grinned at him and looked thrilled. Steve knew the Chinese customs well enough to understand Yun-Hwa and it was her thanks and trust to him. It was a mark of respect.

"Thank you, Uncle Steve and I'm sorry for hacking into several agencies." Yun-Hwa admitted.

Steve gently cupped her face with his hand and wipe her tears away from her rosy cheek. "Hey, you start fresh and you will be the first to know about your sister when I get confirmation. Okay?"

Yun-Hwa nodded. "Who's he?" she turned to Chin.

Then, Steve introduce her to him. "This is Lieutenant Chin Ho Kelly. Chin, this is Kim Yun Hwa. According to Agent Kendricks, she's Sun-Hwa's sister. I'll fill in the blanks later." He promised.

"All right, boss. Any luck with the other hackers?" Chin wondered. Steve shook his head in response.

"We're looking at three now. Get her back to Hawaii." He noticed her face lit up with excitement.

"Hawaii?" Yun-Hwa looked excited. "I always want to go there and ride a bike there."

"You're staying in New Zealand." Chin noted.

"Somebody had to look out for them. I'll be fine." Steve promised him.

He had a feeling Chin was going to come back to New Zealand with his whole team as backup and didn't brush it off so easily. "Don't think about coming back here." He warned him.

"Boss, you're crazy." Chin admitted. "Danny won't let this go for sure."

"Do me a favour and tell him to stay his butt there. Keep my seat warm." Steve said firmly. Chin snorted.

"I'll do my best to convince them. Mean time, I'll call the bomb squad and get the vest off her." He told her.

"I can't leave Kim Ki Soo all by himself." Steve said reasonably. "Agent Callen is on his own."

"Uncle, my sister went through special training enough to remain hidden off the North Korean officials. If she can handle them, there's no need to remain here in New Zealand and my sister doesn't trust anyone so easily. I know my sister better than anyone. She had it with people who'd disappoint her and what I heard from her General, she swore vengeance when he was supposed to protect me and my mum." Yun-Hwa advised him. "You, my friend, had way too many close shave with a bullet today. If I didn't like you, I would have kill you like I had done with the North Korean Prime Minister."

Steve starred at her. "You were ordered to kill a North Korean Prime Minister?"

"My first revenge and a direct order from Ray through Mr Black in IRIS. Why else did General Park Chul Young picked me up at the reunification committee party? NSS agency was involved with the protection service too." Yun-Hwa answered coolly. She sighed. "Well, like you said, I made terrible decision such as being a member as IRIS."

Steve sighed and felt a wave of sympathy for her. "Tell you what, I'll buy food and you trade information. Anything on order is on me." He offered. The kid looked taken aback and was surprised.

"Okay. There's something else you need to know." Yun-Hwa added guiltily.

"What's that?" Steve put Agent Kendricks to the car and smeared his bloodied hand on his back.

Agent Kendricks laughed bitterly. "She's only telling you now because she feels all too guilty now she knows her sister is alive and knows she is responsible for it all. You're too late to warn them, missy because I got to the Deputy Director of NSS and all IRIS members will go after NCIS, starting with Henrietta Lange and Nell Jones."

He laughed with sore satisfaction that made Yun-Hwa go after him.

Steve pulled her back and looked alarmed. "Yun-Hwa, no! He's not worth the blood."

"Yes, he is!" Yun-Hwa looked distraught and held back a powerful sobbed. "He should be wearing a vest. Why at my sister? _Why_?" she shouted hysterically. Steve hold her firmly concerned she will go out of hand and get hurt with physical injury just from Agent Kendricks.

"Your sister will never get out of New Zealand and the person she married is a member of a MELCHIDECH. She will never be free until she stopped breathing just like her other two members and the next hit list start with Nell Jones. The woman mistakenly to be raise by Agent Tseo." Agent Kendricks concluded.

Steve passed Yun-Hwa to Chin and quickly took out his gun from his holster. He didn't shoot him again once on the thigh but two. Agent Kendricks grunted in pain. His voice lack from screaming out.

"You seem to know an awful lot about the hit squad. Cooperate with us or I will give a message to the people of IRIS or MELCHIDECH and will tell either of them you gave so much information they are welcome to collect a traitor back. If you want to live and continue your revenge, then work with us." Steve demanded crossly. "Pull another stunt like that I'll throw you in a zoo. I will put you close to a python." He warned him. " _Don't_ test me, Agent Kendricks."

Yun-Hwa stopped going after the man who threatened her sister. It was clear Agent Kendricks had pushed a nerve on the commander so much he was breaking all protocols. She clung onto Chin with his hand and was terrified at the thought of any human being to be thrown to a zoo full of pythons. She turned pale and froze on the spot.

Chin understood Yun-Hwa's reaction because it was the first time she learned how his team really function and it was part of their immunity government grant in Hawaii that she was clueless about and she shared a look of petrified expression to the lieutenant who didn't seem surprise at his boss's threats.

"You're too late." Agent Kendricks repeated. "All we receive are orders. No one knows what orders other received because our way to form a communication is through a newspaper and IRIS is the only ones who break the code. Why do you think it takes so long for NSS to catch them? There's no online communication at all. Henrietta Lange and Nell Jones will be hit no matter which way you turn and there is no stopping this attack even if you caught all the hackers on site."

"Why them?" Steve seized his collar, seething angrily.

"She protected nuclear scientists in the middle of them administering nuclear technology. Plus, the information was leak and she got close to reveal who the leak was and as for Nell Jones, she is the only survivor who had witnessed a sleeper agent that lived in the FBI agency since she was a child. That agent was responsible to murder her whole family." Agent Kendricks concluded.

He laughed for the last time. Steve threw away the gun angrily then back handed him with his elbow, knocking him out completely. He was so angry and felt so helpless that what he discovered knew to be true. Right now, he can only hope to know that NCIS will figure this quick hunch just as he discovered a strong trail that leaded him to the first hacker.

He only hope wherever his friend, Sam Hanna, will come home safe and hope when he is safe, he will definitely give a proper catch up along with an overdue steak dinner he owed him.

 **[NCIS Los Angeles]**


End file.
